Ed Oni
by LittleFlyingTiger
Summary: If it sounds familiar, then you probably know what it is. The Eds discover an abandoned mansion in Peach Creek and are dared to go inside by Kevin. But once inside, chaos begins to unravel until things just seem too strange to be real at all. Together, the kids must fight for their lives in order to escape from this dreadful mansion. Ed Edd n Eddy parody of Ao Oni/ Heta Oni.
1. Chapter 1 - The Mansion

**AN: This story needs more than two genres! Scifi, Horror (kinda) Suspense, Mystery, Tragedy, Hurt/ Comfort and just plain mind-fuckness. Please keep in mind when reading this, that I am most certainly no professional author. Please be nice with your comments! D: Also keep in mind that this story will not be humorous at all… maybe a little, but mostly sad. So, if you don't like that kind of stuff I'd turn back now. This story is based off a game I watched called HetaOni, a fan-made Hetalia parody of Ao Oni. If you know what either of them are, good for you! And please don't spoil anything for anybody, because I might end up changing it. If not, I hope you like it!**

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Chapter 1 – The Mansion

Nobody knew it existed. In fact, this was the first time the kids of the cul-de-sac have seen this mansion perched upon the hilltop. It was unusual for a mansion of this size to be anywhere near the Peach Creek vicinity, so it was no surprise when the children became curious. The mansion is set quite a ways away from the construction site, and even the Trailer Park, sitting out practically in the middle of nowhere with only a dirt road to guide life to its alluring gates. No one knows how long it's been here, or who used to live within the confines of this dark, mysterious place. But for now the mansion remained uninhabited. Some even speculate that it is haunted. However, rumors as they may be, no one has ever met anybody who had ever been inside.

OoOoO

"Oh, look! It's really here!" Double D's surprised voice broke the silence as the three Eds approached the mansion from the dirt road. Even from this distance, they could see just how large this place really was, not to mention eerie. "And here I thought this place was just a rumor… I never thought we'd actually find it!" Eddy murmured. As a matter of fact, none of the Eds thought this place actually existed. Up until this day, the place had never been seen, or even mentioned around Peach Creek. It was just an address Double D happened to find, torn from its original sheet of paper and stuck under his new desk at school. He had never heard of the place before, so he became curious and asked his friends to join him in this search; however, Eddy refused. It was then Kevin made the dare for them to go. Since Eddy wasn't one to turn down a challenge, especially one from Kevin, he accepted. _'Bring me somethin' from inside the house, and I'll give ya twenty bucks.'_ Simple enough. So now, here they are. The three Eds approached the gate and stood before the desolate house. From the outside, there seemed to be no life whatsoever inside the place. Ed stepped forward, clinging to the cold iron bars of the gate and gazing upward at the tall building with eyes as wide as saucers.

"I've seen this before guys! It's in one of my comic books! The Cursed Mansion of Sinful Steve, if we enter the mansion we will be devoured by a mutant caterpillar with 20 arms and 7 eyes!" Ed wailed in fear, reminiscing on one of his many comics stashed in his room. However, his tale of terror received no reaction from either Double D or Eddy. "That comic stuff's a load of Bologna, Ed! Get over it. But I gotta admit, this place isn't very interesting… Can't we just grab somthin' and go home?" Eddy said, glancing over at Double D.

"Not very interesting?! Eddy, just think of all the mysteries this place could be holding, all the untold tales of our very town that could be lying in wait inside," Double D stated, gesturing at the mansion with his hand. "SNORE! I'd rather count the grains of sand at the park!" Eddy griped in annoyance. Double D stared blankly at him for a moment more before giving in with a heavy sigh. "Very well then, I suppose we won't have to stick around."

Eddy walked past the gate with his hands shoveled in his pockets. "Good. I think if I had to learn anymore than I have today I'll bust an artery…" he griped. Double D was quick to follow him, but paused when he noticed Ed hadn't moved. He still remained clung to the gate in fear of his comic book nonsense. "Coming, Ed?" Double D asked. Ed glanced at the road behind them, and then at his two buddies before him. After a quick moment of thought, he suddenly perked up, seemingly changing his mood instantaneously. "You betcha!" he hollered, running after his two friends.

"Look at the size of this place!" Eddy shouted, craning his neck just to see the top. The mansion itself had 5 or 6 stories to it at the very least. And the length was nothing to scoff at either. Eddy guessed he could fit at least 20 copies of his own home within this one. He suddenly grew a devious look on his face, rubbing his hands together greedily as the three approached the front door. "I bet the last guy stashed a million… no, a BILLION bucks somewhere! We're gonna be rich!" Eddy said excitedly as he stopped at the door. He took a strand of his hair and sharpened it between with teeth to act as a lock-pick; however, before he could go any further, Double D walked up to the door and opened it. To their surprise, the door was not locked. "What the… it was open this whole time?" Eddy questioned unsurely as Double D took the first few steps into the home. He stopped, glancing at the doorknob. "Well… So it would seem," he retorted. "Whatever… The money's mine!" Eddy laughed maliciously, running up beside Double D to stand in the middle of the empty hallway. Ed was soon to follow, allowing the front door to creak back behind him as he joined his friends in this new ED-venture. "Wait for me, guys!" he shouted just before the door came to its close.

Now inside, the Eds fell silent. This place was even creepier from the inside. There was barely any decoration to liven up the place, (or to take back as proof for Kevin's bet) and the overall age of the home just added to this very unearthly atmosphere. Eddy's excited composure quickly dulled as he became increasingly nervous. Yet, despite the spookiness in the air, Double D remained as bright-eyed as ever. "This place is certainly cleaner than I expected," he commented. Eddy inched closer to him, glancing around in distress. "T-that's lovely, Double D. Can we just find somethin' and get outta here? This place is giving me the creeps," Eddy stammered. "What's the matter, Eddy? Are you scared?" Ed snickered teasingly, poking Eddy on the top of his head.

"What was that?!" Eddy shrieked suddenly. Both Double D and Ed went frigid at Eddy's sudden shrill tone. The three fell silent. Eddy started to shiver as he exchanged a worried glance between his two pals. "D-Did you hear that?!" he asked in a hushed voice. Ed's pupil's dilated in fear as his eyes glanced around the empty halls. "W-W-What was it, Eddy?" he shivered.

"You mean you didn't hear it?! They sounded like footsteps!" Eddy wailed. Ed leaned in closer to Eddy, shaking ever so slightly.

"Listen!" Eddy urged, looping his arm around Ed's neck. "There they are again!"

They fell silent again. Sweat dripped from Ed's brow as Double D looked on, nervously biting at his lower lip. Sure enough, if they strained their ears they could hear the rhythmic tapping of feet upon the wooden floors. As the seconds dragged on, the sound grew louder… and louder… and louder until it sounded as if the footsteps were right underneath Eddy's feet. Suddenly, Ed fell to the floor. Immediately, he sprung back up, running in circles around his friends in a panic, screaming like a banshee. "It's Sinful Steve! Run for your life! Every man for himself! Man the helms!" he screamed.

Suddenly, Eddy fell to his side, rolling in laughter as Ed slowed to a stop. Double D threw his hands on his hips in annoyance. "BWAAHAHA! What a sap! It was me the whole time!" he laughed, tapping his shoe against the wood to mimic the sound. Ed was still a bit rattled. Double D put his arm around Ed comfortingly. "Haha, very funny Eddy," he griped sarcastically. "You nearly gave Ed and I a heart attack!"

Eddy's laughter died down as he wiped a tear from his eye. "Jeez Double D, don't have a bird. It was just a joke!" he grimaced. Just then, the sound of shattering glass sounded from the hallway to their right. Immediately, all of them fell silent again, heads turned toward the sound. Double D laughed nervously, glancing down at Eddy. "That was a pretty realistic sound effect, Eddy," he stated hopefully. "It wasn't me," Eddy retorted in a serious tone.

The three fell silent once more. Double D even started fumbling nervously with his shirt as they gazed down the empty hallway. "I-I'm sure it's nothing. It's probably just a loosely placed ornament of tableware, or maybe it's just our imagination," Double D rambled. Eddy shoved Ed down the hall with his foot. "I say Lumpy checks it out!" said Eddy. Ed glanced back at Eddy with fear in his widened eyes. "Why should Ed have to go by himself?" Double D snapped.

"No way I'm goin' in there! And you're staying here with me!" Eddy demanded. Ed shivered as he remained where he was. "B-B-But Eddy—"

"No Buts! If you go see what it was, I'll give ya some gravy and buttered toast!" Eddy pleaded. Ed stared blankly down the hall as Double D cast a sarcastic glance at his shorter friend. "Please, Eddy… as if Buttered Toast and Gravy will—"

"BUTTERED TOAST!" Ed shouted suddenly, interrupting Double D and taking off down the hallway at full gallop. Eddy smirked from ear to ear, cupping his hand around his mouth and shouting, "Atta boy, Lumpy!"

Double D watched nervously, adding his own words to Eddy's. "You be careful now, Ed!"

However, the excited Ed was already out of hearing range. At the end of the hall was two doors, one at the very end and the other one closer to Ed on the left hand side. Ed tried to open the closer door first, but it was locked. He thought not much of it and quickly moved onto the next. This door was not locked, which Ed found as he opened it and stepped into the vacant room. He seemed to have found the kitchen, seeing as there were counters, tables, a refrigerator, and a stove top in the room. Ed stood just inside the doorway, glancing about the room for anything strange or suspicious, but much like the rest of the house, there was nothing here. On the left wall, close to the fridge, was another door, only this one was a bit smaller like a pantry of some sort. Yet, Ed found something strange about this room, as if something was waiting for him on the other side. Nervously, Ed inched his way over to the door, the whole time his wild imagination played out multiple scenarios that were most likely not going to happen.

What if Sinful Steve lay in wait on the other side?

What if there was a whole lifetime supply of gravy?

What if this pantry was a gateway to another dimension?

Ed stood before the thin door, contemplating his next move. Slowly, he reached out toward it and rested his hand on the cold metal, still hesitating greatly. Finally, he'd made up his mind. Whether it was a 20 foot caterpillar with seven eyes or a boat-load of gravy he was going to open the door! Yet, as he twisted the knob all of his fantasies crumbled away. This one seemed to be locked as well. Ed pulled his hand back, staring at the alluring door for a moment more before turning back to leave. As Ed turned around, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He paused, turning back only to find a shattered plate on the ground beside the door. Looking up, he could clearly see where the plate had fallen from, for on the shelf above the counters it was near were a line of plates, similar in color, missing one within the very neatly spaced line. Ed walked up to the shattered pile and picked up a good sized piece of plate, examining it for a good minute or so before smiling from ear to ear. It would seem Double D was right all along.

Excited, Ed trotted back to where he'd left his two friends to report his findings and receive his reward from Eddy. He waved the piece of plate in the air triumphantly as he made his way down the long hallway.

"Warrior Ed, Reporting for…. Duty?" Ed's voice trailed off as he approached the intersection of halls where his friends had been merely minutes ago. Only now, the hall was completely empty. Ed slowed to a stop, glancing around for any sign of his pals. "Guys…?" he blurted unsurely. There was no response. Ed became nervous; he didn't like being the only one in this large, spooky house. He backed his way toward the front door ever so slowly, hoping that Eddy and Double D had simply gone outside, and most certainly _weren't_ devoured by Sinful Steve. However, as Ed went to turn the knob and make a break for it, the door would not open. Ed was now beginning to panic, staring at the knob that had been unlocked only a few moments earlier. The strangest part was that there was no locking mechanism on the door itself. The only thing it had was a keyhole. Ed knew his friends couldn't be outside, so he moved on.

Ed checked the majority of the first floor, but found that most of the doors were sealed up tight. No matter how hard he tried, they just wouldn't budge. The only part of the first floor he hadn't checked was the end of the hallway to the left of the front door, opposite the one Ed had visited first. By now, Ed was terrified. He was alone, locked inside an abandoned house, his friends missing, and he couldn't find them. There was one room before the hallway made a 90 degree turn, but like all the rest it was locked. Ed turned to make his way around the corner, but froze as he spotted a shadow move quickly across the wall, and disappear around the very same corner. Ed became paralyzed. That shadow was definitely no human's shadow; in fact, it looked like nothing Ed had ever seen.

Ed hoped that this was just another one of Eddy infamous pranks, or else he was in deep trouble here.

"E-E-Eddy…?" he called out nervously, his whole body beginning to rattle. "T-This isn't funny anymore, Eddy…"

No response.

Slowly, Ed inched toward the corner. "D-D-D-Double D-D…?" he stammered. Still nothing.

Cautiously, Ed peered around the corner, expecting to find some monster at the end of the hallway, waiting to eat his very soul. However, he found that the hall was completely empty. The only things he saw were two doors. Ed approached the first one, finding himself in the bathroom, but nothing was special about this room. He quickly moved onto the next only to find yet another locked door. A part of Ed was relieved that there was no monster here, but he just couldn't shake this uneasy feeling. So, he settled with convincing himself that the shadow was just his imagination and went back to the point at which he'd started.

Since all of these doors were locked, Ed figured he had no choice but to go up. Where else would they have gone? Under his feet, the stairs creaked and groaned in age, so Ed was quick to make his way to the top, just in case there really was a monster in this place. Once at the top, he immediately noticed that the room closest to him was cracked open just a hair. So naturally, he checked out this room first. As he pushed on the door, it let out a loud, gruesome noise. Ed jolted, shushing the inanimate object before taking a step into the room. He seemed to have wound up in a bedroom, seeing as there was a bed shoved in the corner, a couple wardrobes, some bookshelves, and a closet. Like the door, the closet was also opened a little bit. If Ed listened carefully, he could barely hear a rattling sound, almost as if a small animal were running around, its claws tip-tapping on the wooden floors. This sound was coming from the closet.

With great hesitation, Ed walked up to the closet, preparing for anything that could be hiding away behind its door, as he reached out and swung the door open. Suddenly…

"NO! PLEASE! LEAVE ME ALONE! I'M JUST A KID!"

The sudden shrill voice caused Ed to fall backwards. His heart fell straight to his stomach as he attempted to scramble away from the thing in the closet. After things calmed a little bit, Ed realized he recognized this voice. And with another quick glance at this thing in the closet, he realized with a rush of relief that it was no _thing_ at all. It was Eddy.

Eddy was curled up in a trembling ball, cramming himself as far into the corner of the small closet as he could manage. But even through Eddy's own fearful position, Ed couldn't help but to smile from ear to ear and run up to Eddy, taking him up in an enormous bear hug.

"EDDY! I was looking everywhere for you! I was so scared! Please don't ever do that again!" Ed wailed, burying his face into Eddy's shirt. Eddy tried his best to scrape Ed from his body, but with no luck. "Ed! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Eddy shrieked. Ed gazed at his friend blankly. "Why were you in the closet, Eddy?" he asked. Suddenly, Eddy's fearful expression came back. "It was awful! While you were gone, this… this _thing_ appeared and chased after us! I don't know what the heck it was, but it wasn't no human or ghost!" Eddy explained, his voice tightening around his throat in his fear like a boa constrictor. Ed raised his brow in concern, briefly remembering the shadow he'd saw, but quickly pushed it out of his mind. Now that he was with Eddy, he wasn't so scared.

"Sounds like somebody's had too much coffee again," Ed stated, referring back to a time when Eddy had been bouncing off the walls due to his caffeine intake. Eddy scowled back at him. "You idiot! Where would I get coffee in a place like this?! That thing was real! I saw it!"

"Where's Double D?" Ed asked, searching the closet for their sock-headed pal. "He and I ran in different directions. I didn't see where he went," Eddy answered, eyes averting to the ground in guilt. Ed grabbed Eddy by the arm, and started to take off back out the door. But Eddy was reluctant to go, even if he had to be dragged outside. "We gotta look for Double D, Eddy! Before Sinful Steve finds him first!" Ed shouted. Somehow, Eddy managed to break free, backing toward the closet again. Due to the amount of force Ed had been exerting before, he was sent flying into the wall, landing back on his face beside the bed.

"If you think I'm going back out there, you're nuts! Double D will find us; I say we wait here for him!" Eddy urged.

Ed sat up again, now holding onto something he'd found on the floor, examining it carefully. It was a key! He smiled, running back to Eddy with the small golden key in hand. "Lookie here, Eddy! It's a key, see?" he chuckled. "A key?" Eddy stated. "There's something written on it!" Ed pointed out, squinting his eyes to read the fine letters.

"Lee-… Libur-… Libuari-…"

"Gimme that!" Eddy demanded, snatching the key from his inadequate friend. "It says Library, stupid! This key goes to the Library!" he corrected.

"Where's that, Eddy?" Ed wondered innocently.

Suddenly, Eddy put on a greedy smirk from ear to ear. "I bet that's where the sucker his all his cash! Come on, Ed!" he snickered, grabbing Ed by the coat and running toward the door. "Let's go to the library!"

Ed laughed at Eddy's newfound excitement. "Wow Eddy… That's something I'd expect from Double D!" he shouted as they ran down the hall.

"Shut up, Ed!"

The two kids went back down the stairs with Ed leading the way. With so many locked doors in this place, it was impossible to know which one was the library. So Ed merely retraced his steps, heading down the hallway toward the kitchen. He stopped at the locked door with Eddy close behind. "I think it's this one," Ed stated. Eddy grimaced at him impatiently. "Whatever, just open it!" he snapped. Ed inserted the key, and to his luck it was the right door. Now unlocked, he opened the door and stepped into the library.

Like any other library in the world, this room was filled to the brim with shelves upon shelves of old, musty books. To their left was a table covered messily with papers and more books. However, though this room was as simple as any other in this house, the two boys couldn't shake this uneasy feeling. Eddy shoveled his hands into his pockets and moved toward the table, pausing only to direct his pal toward the shelves of books. "I'm gonna check this way, Ed you check the shelves. Look for anything that looks like money," Eddy instructed. With a smile from ear to ear, Ed saluted his friend. "I'm your man, Eddy!" he chuckled before turning around and galloping among the endless shelves of books.

Now alone, Eddy could focus on his own task, starting with the table. He examined the old, wooden piece of furniture for anything strange or out of place, but the table was as simple as any table could get. No drawers, no hidden compartments, nothin'! Eddy scratched his chin. There had to be something! He began tossing the books and papers around carelessly, creating an even bigger mess than already existed. Man, if Double D were with them right now he'd be throwing a fit. Suddenly, as Eddy knocked over a stack of papers that sat barely on the edge, he heard the sharp sound of metal hitting the floor. He paused, eyes averting toward the sound and spotted a small golden key, similar to the one they used to open this door. He picked it up, examining the key carefully. On the body of the small key were the words Bedroom 2. "Bedroom 2?" he questioned, slightly confused.

Suddenly, a loud thud interrupted his thoughts, and in all honesty it scared the living hell from him as well. He turned abruptly toward the sound just as some books fell from their shelves due to a sudden impact from the other side. Eddy's gut churned uncomfortably. "Lumpy? Was that you?" Eddy asked lightly.

"E-E-E-Edd-Eddy!" Ed stammered. Just the fear in his voice was enough to send chills up Eddy's spine. "What is it?" Eddy asked hesitantly. For a brief moment, all Eddy could hear was Ed's rattling breaths. Something wasn't right here. This wasn't the tone of someone who'd just found a load of cash, this was real fear.

"E-Eddy.. you can lay off the p-pranks now," Ed stated. Eddy's heart immediately dropped.

"Ed, I stopped playing pranks back when we entered this place…" Eddy stated.

From beyond the books, Eddy could just barely make out Ed's quivering figure plastered against the shelves. Ever so slowly, he made his way back toward the door, and all the while Eddy caught the glimpse of something else beyond him, something big.

Suddenly, Ed burst into a sprint, running from around the shelves with the most fearful expression on his face. Almost at the same time, as if on cue, something else from another aisle darted out in hot pursue of the young boy. This creature was no human being, even if it's basic feature appeared as so, standing taller than Ed even as it crouched on all four legs. The creature's head was enormous, almost like Johnny's, with large, black, almond shaped eyes that seemed to glint in the dim light of this room. Its hands and feet, though very similar to a human's, were equipped with long, sharp claws. And at the end of its grey, emaciated body was a snake-like tail that thrashed around violently in its own motions. Upon seeing this monster, Eddy knew that what they'd gotten themselves into was certainly not good.

Ed circled around the table, grabbing Eddy by the wrist and violently thrashing him back toward the only exit. "Run for your life!" Ed wailed out. The monster eagerly climbed upon the table, knocking over a few chairs in the process, and outstretched its clawed hands to catch Eddy. But Ed was quick to react, yanking Eddy in front of him as the two made a break for the door.

The creature was closing in fast, and Eddy being scared out of his mind had a difficult time finding his grip on the door. Ed cast nervous glanced between him and the monster. "Come on, Eddy!" he urged desperately. "I'm trying, get off my back!" Eddy snapped. Finally, he had a firm grip on the door, but to his dismay the knob would not turn.

It was locked.

"Come on, stupid door! Who the hell locks a door on both sides?! Ed! Gimme the key quick!" Eddy demanded n a shivering voice. Ed reached into his pockets, and then into his jacket, all the while his forehead was dripping with more and more sweat. "I musta dropped it somewhere, Eddy! I can' find it!"

Eddy reached into Ed's jacket pocket, digging through the mounds of trash and unknown substances until he pulled out a thin, rusty water pipe. He shoved Ed back the way they came, putting him directly in the path of the creature. "Well go find it! I'll hold it off!" Eddy ordered. Ed turned around to run back, but the creature was quick to step in his way.

"Hey! Ugly!" Eddy taunted.

At his voice, the monster whipped its head in Eddy's direction, giving Ed just enough time to slip past it unnoticed. "Yea, you! Don't you want to eat me?!" Eddy shouted, taking a step forward as if to challenge it. Eddy knew that by taunting this monster, he was probably digging his own grave, but this was the only choice. Armed with only a thin pipe, no longer than Eddy's own height, his chances were slim.

Suddenly, the creature leapt into the air, planting itself right on top of Eddy. He was lucky to have such good reactions, for just in the nick of time he brought the pipe above his head to prevent the creature from mauling him right away, but his strength would not hold out. From underneath the creature's nostrils, its skin broke apart to form a mouth with jagged fangs waiting to devour the flesh of this young boy. Eddy was beyond just scared. The monster pushed down on the pipe, putting massive strain on Eddy's arms.

"HURRY UP, ED!" he shouted.

Just as the monster's fangs were barely a hair's length from his face, the monster was suddenly tossed aside. It slammed into the wall violently, giving Eddy just enough time to scramble to his feet and find Ed in front of him with the key in hand. Eddy snatched the key just as the monster regained its composure. Quickly, Eddy opened the door, swinging it out forcefully into the hallway as both boys exploded from the room with the monster close behind.

"Go upstairs, Lumpy… UPSTAIRS!" Eddy screeched just before they passed up the flight of stairs. Eddy knew their only chance to escape was to hide in the bedroom that went with this key. However, at the rate they were running, they wouldn't have time to check every room. If Eddy had any form of good luck, now would be the time for it to shine.

At the top of the stairs, the two Eds looped around the railing, heading down the hallway opposite the stairs in hopes to slow the creature down, but to their dismay it did not. Eddy grabbed onto the first door he saw. His entire body was shaking more than an earthquake as he brought the key up to unlock the door, but with his mind being so scrambled right now, this task would be easier said than done. Not to mention Ed's rather clingy behavior wasn't doing much to help either.

"Come on, Eddy! It's catching up!" he pointed out nervously.

Eddy turned the latch. Success! His luck ain't out after all. He opened the door, gesturing for Ed to come inside quickly as the monster closed in fast. Just in the nick of time, he slammed the door shut, locked it and ran back to hide with Ed between the two beds in the room. The creature scratched at the door, making quite a racket as Eddy huddled beside Ed.

"What the heck's up with this mansion?!" Eddy snipped quietly. Ed pressed himself as close to the wall as he could, watching the door nervously. "We've disturbed Sinful Steve, Eddy! We are doomed to spend the rest of our lives as stuffed trophies above the mantle of his fireplace!" Ed whimpered. Eddy furrowed his brows at Ed's ridiculous theory. "This isn't one of your stupid comic books, Ed! That thing wants to eat us! I don't even know what the heck it is, but it wants to kill!" Eddy barked. Ed cast a worried glance down at Eddy. "You don't think he–"

"NO! There's no way he's got Sock-head already! This is Double D we're talking about!" Eddy spat back.

Then, he thought about what he said. Double D, the wimpy kid who can barely lift a two-pound dumbbell for gym class. Double D, the one who can barely run down the cul-de-sac without growing tired. Double D, the pacifist. All of a sudden, Eddy became worried. Maybe he had too much confidence in his pal's whereabouts. No! Double D was fine, just fine! He had to be!

It was then, the creature finally quieted down. Its violent scratching died down to merely silence as the two Eds watched the door in fear. They waited for what felt like an eternity before the two began to move again. Eddy tip-toed up to the door, hesitantly unlocking it with the key and peering into the hallway. It would seem that the monster had finally left them alone.

"It's gone," Eddy sighed, glancing at Ed.

Ed approached his friend, gripping nervously at his shirt. "What are we gonna do, Eddy? The front door won't open…" Ed stated.

"I know… We'll figure something out," said Eddy. Though in all honesty, he had no idea what they could do. Finally, he walked out to the hallway, pausing only to glance back at Ed.

"Let's start by looking for Double D."

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**AN: Well, there you have it. If you didn't believe me before, believe it now that this story is not going to be all that funny/ cute/ sexy. I hope it's alright though, I'm not really a good writer. There's probably a shitload of mistakes in the later half so forgive me, I wrote it on a plane with Mac's version of Notepad, so the grammar is probably way off. If there are any I'll fix them asap. Thanks for reading :)**


	2. Chapter 2 - The MysteriousJawbreaker?

Chapter 2 - The Mysterious… Jawbreaker?

"Hey Sock-head! You on this floor?!" Eddy's voice echoed down the empty halls of the third floor. He paused for a moment, waiting to hear a reply, when suddenly Ed bowled over him from behind, galloping around the halls excitedly. "Double D, Double D! Come out, come out where ever you are!" he shouted excitedly. Eddy pushed himself up off the ground. "Ed! That hurt you idiot!" he growled, rubbing at his head. Ed halted, turning back to gaze at Eddy who had picked himself up and was brushing away the dirt from his clothes. "How did you trip when you're already so close to the ground?" Ed asked innocently, referring to Eddy's stubby height. Eddy furrowed his brow in annoyance.

"I ain't short! And it was you who knocked me over stupid! How can you be so happy when we almost got killed by that thing?!"

Ed put on his usual smile. "I'm in my happy place, Eddy!" he cheered.

"Idiot…" Eddy murmured. "Anyways, I didn't hear him reply. Let's check the fourth floor."

"But Eddy, doncha wanna check the rooms?" Ed asked.

"Nah, they're probably all locked like the rest of the doors in this place," Eddy responded, turning to head up the next flight of stairs. Ed had no objections as he ran after his pal.

In a way, Eddy envied Ed for being so giddy. Eddy was still trembling from the whole experience, and he couldn't bring himself to abandon his only weapon as he tightened his grip around the rusty pipe. Something about this house just wasn't right. Most of the doors were locked, including the very door they used to enter the house, and now this monster appears out of nowhere. Eddy felt hopelessly lost, but he knew as well as any other that if anyone could find a way out, it was Double D.

Ed had managed to run ahead of Eddy, reaching the top of the staircase just as Eddy passed the middle. From the top, he ran off in a random direction, still calling out goofily for their lost pal. "Ed, slow down! We don't know what's up here!" Eddy called out. But his mindless friend did not come back. When Eddy reached the top, he glanced around cautiously, almost expecting the creature to make a surprise appearance again. Instead, he found that one of the doors was open. Suddenly, Ed jumped into the doorway from inside the room. "Look, Eddy! The door was open, see?" he stated. Eddy wanted to point out how obvious that was, but decided just to keep his mouth shut for now.

"And here I thought all the doors would be locked… Nice find, Lumpy," Eddy stated as he slinked into the room.

This room appeared to be simply a lounge. All around were dusty old chairs and sofas along with a few bookshelves lining the walls. "Hey, Double D! Are you in here?!" Eddy called out. Still no reply. He growled under his breath in annoyance. Ed, on the other hand, was running about the room, laughing to himself about nothing. He opened the closet, but found nothing except for a simple cardboard box. He continued on his round trip of the room, looking for anything that could be hiding their Double D, when he noticed an oddly out of place bookshelf sitting all by itself in the corner of the room. The shelf was slanted just slightly, but just enough to stand out for Ed.

"Did you find anything?" Eddy asked, still standing by the door.

"I found this bookshelf, Eddy!" Ed stated, pointing at the askew shelf.

Eddy wasn't sure if he was serious or not. "So what?! There's a billion of them here!" he growled.

Ed took the shelf in his hands and scooted it to the side.

"Oh, and I found this jawbreaker too!" Ed added pointing at the wall. Suddenly, Eddy zipped to where Ed was standing, a greedy smirk stretched across his face. "Jawbreaker, you say?!"

Sure enough, as strange as it sounds, there was indeed a jawbreaker wedged into a hole in the wall. And even more strange, it seemed to have a face. Eddy observed this strange piece of candy. "Looks like melon-head put that face on it," Eddy pointed out. "But Johnny isn't here," Ed added. Strange alright, but despite that Eddy managed to stay his usual, greedy self.

Eddy took the first step forward, grabbing onto the jawbreaker with both hands. "It's mine!" he chimed in excitedly, drool dripping from his mouth. However, as he pulled on the jawbreaker to free it from the wall, the stubborn sphere of candy would not budge. "What the–" Eddy grunted, pulling harder. Still, the jawbreaker remained glued in place. "The stupid thing won't budge!" he added in a strained voice. Eddy stepped back, scratching his chin in thought. He glanced at Ed, slapping him upside the head. "Fetch!" he commanded, pointing at the jawbreaker.

Ed put on a smile, despite being pushed around. "Yes, sir, Mr. Eddy sir!" he bellowed. Then, he tried his strength on the jawbreaker. Yet, no matter how much strength even Ed had, the stubborn jawbreaker remained in place. Still, Ed tried, pulling back as hard as he could until his hands slipped, sending him flying backwards.

Eddy was astonished that not even Ed could make this thing budge. "Tough jawbreaker…" he commented. Ed leapt back to his feet, standing beside Eddy once more. "We need Double D for this!" he pointed out. For once, Eddy agreed with him. If the brawn of their group could figure it out, than the brains could. Eddy knew no one else would be in this mansion anytime soon, so for once he didn't mind abandoning his findings… but just to be safe he moved the bookshelf back in front of it.

"But Eddy, where is Double D?" Ed asked innocently.

"If you haven't been paying attention, we've been lookin' for him, numbskull! Let's check the room across from this one," Eddy retorted. The two left this room alone, and headed to the next. Like the last one, this new room appeared to be unlocked as well. As the two stepped into the room, they found that they were inside yet another bedroom. There were two white beds against the wall, a couple of sofas in the center, and the usual wardrobes and bookshelves against the other wall. However, there didn't appear to be any life in this room. A slight feeling of worry began to bubble in Eddy's stomach, but he couldn't give up just yet. He slowly made his way into the room, breaking off from Ed for the time being. "Hey… Sock-head can you hear me? Where are ya?" he shouted. Eddy peered under the sofas, but found only a ripped sheet of paper. Carefully observing the paper, he saw that it had two colored squares on it. He was certainly baffled by it, so he stuffed it into his pocket and continued his detailed search of the room.

Meanwhile, Ed had gone off in a different direction, heading straight toward a strange lever on the wall. There was something off about this lever; none of the other rooms had one. And it got even stranger as he read the three labels on it.

Heaven.

Earth.

Hell.

Ed stared at these labels for a good while. What on earth could they mean? The current position of the lever was on earth. So if this place resides on earth, does that mean if the lever is moved to heaven that they will reside in heaven? Or even the same for hell? Ed laughed to himself, taking hold of the lever in his hand. Well, he was certainly going to find out. He pulled the lever down to hell.

"To hell we go!" he shouted excitedly.

Suddenly, from behind he heard the cranking and groaning of mechanics as a door slammed open, followed quickly by Eddy's disappearing scream. Ed spun around, finding himself alone in this creepy room. Where Eddy had once stood between the two beds was a trap door. Ed ran up to the hole, peering down into the space below. "Eddy! Don't leave me alone up here!" he shouted. From below, Eddy groaned and glared up at Ed in anger. "Don't give me that crap, Ed! You're the one who made a trap door appear! Get down here so I can give ya a knuckle sandwich!" Eddy shouted back. Though Eddy's words were meant to be a joke, Ed followed them anyways. "A knuckle Sandwich, yum!" Ed cheered as he leapt down into the hole, bottom first. Eddy tried to scramble out of his way, but with no luck as Ed crashed down on top of him. Now on the lower level, Ed looked around. Everything about this room was white. White wood, White walls, white bookshelves and drawers. And the most notable object in the room, a pure white piano smack-dab in the center.

"Boy, hell sure has changed since the last time I read about it," Ed pointed out. Suddenly, he was tossed aside by Eddy underneath him.

"Ed, you idiot! What the hell were you thinking?!" he growled.

"Exactly!" Ed replied.

"What if that lever had killed us, huh?"

"But, we're still alive."

Eddy looked around the room in annoyance. "And just where the heck did we end up, anyways?!" There was something very unnerving about this room to Eddy. It wasn't just the plain white nothingness that gave the room an overall spooky feel; there was something else, something very strange almost like a stabbing feeling of sorrow and guilt that throbbed in Eddy's heart. It was a feeling that he did not enjoy at all. Even Ed seemed to quiet down at this demoralizing feeling in the air.

Eddy slinked toward the door, clutching his weapon closer to his body. "Come on, Ed. This room gives me the creeps. Let's keep lookin'," Eddy stated nervously. Ed was quick to follow his buddy as they made their way out the door. Now, they were back on the third floor. Eddy exchanged annoyed glances between the door and the rest of the floor. "What the… it was open?"

Ed clung to Eddy by his shoulders, eyes watering. "Eddy, Double D wasn't in that room either!" he pointed out. Eddy wiped Ed's hands from his body and took a few steps toward the other door on this floor. "I know, just keep lookin'! He's gotta be here somewhere!" Eddy retorted. Eddy walked onto the next room, which was luckily not locked. If Double D wasn't in here, then they may as well give up.

Like the last, this room was pure white as well, only this room only contained rows upon rows of shelves filled to the brim with books. Eddy began strutting down the first aisle, craning his neck just to see the top shelves of these massive bookshelves. "This place is filled with nothin' but furniture and books…" Eddy griped sourly, stopping to examine one of these old dusty books. He began to flip aimlessly through the pages, but even looking over them like this he could tell that the text was faded and unreadable. "Ya can't even read em!"

"Double D woulda liked this room… He liked books and old things!" Ed sobbed. Eddy was becoming increasingly annoyed with Ed's worrisome behavior; though secretly in his own mind he was worried as well.

"I can even hear Double D's voice right now! I miss him so!" Ed continued to cry out.

Just then, a familiar voice called out from the other side of the room. "Ed? Is that you?"

"See?! There it is again! Double D! Where, oh where have you gone my friend!" Ed bawled, plopping down on the ground in a puddle of his own tears. Eddy peered around them. "Hey, I hear it too! Weird!" he stated in amazement.

"Haha, very funny you two…"

Eddy and Ed glanced behind them, and immediately their faces lit up. Standing at the end of the aisle with arms folded was Double D. He was as unscathed as ever, with no wounds to speak of. Ed sprung up from the floor, arms open wide as he charged directly at their reclaimed friend. "Double D! I missed you so much, like you don't even know! I thought Sinful Steve had gotten you, and DEVOURED your body, leaving your head as a trophy to be stuffed and hung above his fireplace as a warning to all the others who try to disturb his mansion!"

Both Eddy and Double D blinked slowly at Ed's over-reactive imagination. "Enchanting, Ed. However, I am just fine as you can clearly see. Just a little rattled is all," Double D stated in an oddly cheery voice. "Why the heck are ya in here?! And why didn't you answer me when I called you the first time!" Eddy demanded.

"Well, while you so heartlessly abandoned me, I decided it was best to get as far away from that creature as I could, and when I came up to this room, I just couldn't resist all the lovely books!" Double D replied, casting an accusing glance at Eddy briefly. Eddy shrugged his shoulders. "Who wouldn't run after seeing a monster like that?! What did you want me to do? Sit there and scream like a little girl?" Eddy bit back challengingly. "Oh, like abandoning your best friend would do you any better…" Double D snapped. Eddy sighed. "Whatever, I'm sorry alright? We found each other again, that's what counts. As long as the three of us are together we'll be just fine."

"Double D!" Ed chimed in, smashing himself between the two. "The doors in this place are all locked! Even the front door!"

"Oh, dear. I suppose that is a problem, isn't it?" Double D responded with little worry in his voice at all. Eddy picked up on this, and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at him. "You don't seen too worried bout all this…" he stated. For a brief second, the look of panic crossed Double D's face, a look Eddy would have missed if he had merely blinked. However, this panic was quickly replaced with a gloating frown. "Well, _somebody_ has to keep a level head, seeing as all you seem to be good for is running away screaming," he quipped. Eddy gritted his teeth angrily. "Why you…"

"How do we get out Double D?" Ed interrupted.

"I'm not sure, Ed… I've never been in such a precarious situation such as this. I suppose we can start by finding the key to the front door?" he offered.

"Hey! I know where the key is!" Eddy bellowed suddenly, completely changing his tone. Both Double D and Ed gazed on in astonishment. "You do?" they asked simultaneously.

Eddy walked back toward the door, polishing his knuckles on his shirt as if to look cool. "Yup. Fourth Floor, there's a jawbreaker holding the key to my mouth! But we need your brains-" he said, gesturing at Double D, "- to get it out. It's stuck in the wall, you see."

"A jawbreaker? Why, Eddy… that's absurd!" Double D scoffed.

"It's true! I found it!" Ed laughed.

Double D looked troubled, resting his chin in the palm of his hand in thought. "Odd… I suppose I'll have to come investigate this jawbreaker," he stated as he followed Eddy down the aisle with Ed close behind. Together, all three of them made their way up the stairs, chatting amongst themselves about what they'd seen and this mysterious jawbreaker which Ed had discovered jammed into the wall behind the bookshelf. When they reached the room, Eddy was the first to open the door.

"Yea, and it looks like Jug-head drew a face on it. Weird right?" he laughed, head turned back to watch his two pals behind him. "Intriguing…" Double D mumbled as he walked into the room. But suddenly, he froze, letting out a rather loud gasp. There soon after it was Ed who went frigid. From head to toe, the two boys were trembling in fear. "What?" Eddy wondered aloud, but got his answer as he turned his head to look into the room. Standing in the middle, sitting almost like a watchdog of some sort, was the monster. Its large black eyes gazed hungrily at the three boys as it sat in wait for them to come closer.

"Oh, crap…" Eddy whimpered.

"Gentleman… looks like we're going to have to prepare for a battle."

* * *

**Sweet Lord My writing for this chapter was God-awful eAe It's super hard to keep the Eds in character through all this! I might end up re-writing it some other time, but I dunno. It was shorter than the last, but hopefully future chapters will make up for that. I promise to do better on the next one! XD By the way, please forgive any mistakes. I wrote this chapter on Mac's equivalent to notepad again so yea. I'll be back to Microsoft Word whenever I get back home. **


	3. Chapter 3 - Supernatural

Chapter 3 - Supernatural

At the site of the three Eds, the monster rose from its sitting position. From its thin complexion, they could see its muscles flexing in anticipation. At the doorway, the three Eds shook in fear. "So, uh… What's the plan?" Eddy asked.

"W-We could try to run, but I seriously doubt we'll get far," Double D responded.

"Well, it's three against one, I think our chances are pretty good," Eddy stated hopefully. Yet, Double D looked doubtful. "Taking into consideration the athletic ability of all three of us combined, I'd say our chances are slim," he said in a quivering voice. Eddy cast a bewildered glance at Double D. "So What're ya sayin', that our chances are slim no matter what?!" he snipped.

Ed reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a spatula. "We gotta try!" he stated nervously. Eddy glanced at his weapon with furrowed brows. "Are you gonna fight with a spatula?!" he barked. "One must do with what one has," Double D intervened. "Do you have a more accurate weapon, Eddy?"

Eddy's face fell unsurely as he bit his lower lip. "Well, then what are you going to fight with?!" Eddy questioned. Double D clutched tighter at the book he'd been holding since the library. It was an old-looking journal with a mahogany-brown leather cover and musty yellow pages. "All I have is this book," he answered.

All of a sudden, the creature burst from the ground, darting straight for Double D. All three Eds tensed up, becoming too scared to even move. It was then Double D brought the book up, swinging it directly into the side of the creature's face and knocking it back quite a ways. Double D took a few steps back as the monster tried to regain itself, shaking its head. Eddy gazed at Double D, a glint of slight admiration shone in his eyes. "Nice shot, Sock-head," he commented.

"Not yet, Eddy… Here it comes again!" Ed stated.

Sure enough, the monster was headed for Double D again, this time the anger and lust for blood was apparent in its pitch-black eyes. This time, it was must faster and well prepared for Double D's flimsy attacks. Now, it was Eddy and Ed who knocked it back. The creature was knocked off its feet and sent tumbling across the room. Eddy stood before Double D, clenching his fists and smirking in this newfound adrenaline. "Yea! Take that monster! No one messes with my pal!" he boasted. Yet still, the creature merely rose to it's feet unharmed. Eddy's prideful pose fell. "We didn't even dent it!" he quivered.

"Get ready, Eddy!" Ed wailed out. But Eddy merely remained standing where he was, baffled by this phenomenon. He turned to Double D. "How come we didn't hurt it?! What the hell's goin' on here?!" he demanded. The creature was closing in fast on Eddy. "Don't mind that right now, Eddy! Just move!" Double D screeched. But it was too late, the creature was practically on top of him, clawed fingers pulled back to attack, but before it could bring them down, Double D tried to move his friend out of the way. Luckily, the monster only grazed Eddy's side. Ed then charged in, swinging his spatula around as if it were a real weapon and smacking that monster back a few steps once more.

Eddy fell to his side, gripping at his new wound screeching out in pain. He lifted one hand and saw that it was dripping with blood, deep, crimson-red blood. It was this moment he realized how serious this situation was, even more serious than he'd previously thought. This monster could hurt them, hell… he could probably kill them, and they can't even scratch it! Double D was quick to arrive at his side, looking worriedly at his scratch.

"This scratch isn't all that bad, but we need to have it bandaged up quickly!" he stated, worry thick in his voice.

"This is bad!" Eddy cried out. "This is really bad, sock-head! We need to get out of this house!"

"I'm well aware of that Eddy, please just–"

"OW! IT GOT ME!" Ed wailed suddenly. Both Double D and Eddy glanced back just in time to see Ed's shoulder, now dripping with blood, inside of the creature's jaws. Both of their hearts sunk like an anchor to their stomachs. "ED!"

Double D darted up to the monster, smacking it with all he's got right in the middle of its head. Finally, the creature was defeated, but as opposed to falling to the floor, it seemed to dissolve into the air like a ghost. Ed collapsed to his knees, clutching at his shoulder. "Oh, Ed! My apologies for not coming to your aid sooner! This wound is horrific! You both need medical attention immediately!" Double D cried out.

"What the–… The thing disappeared… it fricken VANISHED! What the hell?!" Eddy panicked. Double D glanced at him, pulling a first aid kit from his pocket. "Eddy, just calm d–"

"How the hell am I supposed to calm down at a time like this?! What the hell did we get ourselves into?! What's up with that thing… What's up with this whole house?!"

"I can explain, just give me some time to bandage Ed' wounds," Double D stated, unusually calm.

"How bout we find a safe place before we do anything," Ed suggested in a pain strained voice.

Double D and Eddy glanced at each other and nodded. "For once, I agree with Lumpy," Eddy stated.

"Indeed," Double D added. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. "Well, I found this key in the library. I suppose it could be of some use right now."

Eddy snatched the key from his hand and read the label. This key was slightly different from the others he'd found. It was silver, and on the body were the small letters '_Bedroom 2.'_

"Another bedroom key?" he questioned.

"Well, I thought a bedroom would be the perfect place to rest for the night…" Double D quipped sarcastically.

Eddy scowled at his friend. "I didn't say no! Let's go, before that thing comes back."

OoOoOo

Double D sat next to Ed on the bed, just finishing up his first aid. Ed couldn't help but to put on a goofy smile as he observed his bandages. "Wow, Double D. Since when were you so good at this kinda stuff?" he asked admiringly. Double D sighed with a relieved smile. "Ever since I met you two, that's when all the chaos and misfortune began to unfold," he replied teasingly.

The room the three had found was rather nice. It had one large bed in the corner next to the door, a medium sized table in the middle and a nice fireplace right in the center of the back wall. It was then, Eddy came through the door holding a rather large box and few matches he'd found. "I found some stuff to make a fire," he stated ash he closed the door behind him and approached the fireplace. Double D stepped off the bed and walked up to his friend. "That was very nice of you Eddy, thank you! You didn't run into the creature did you?" he asked.

Eddy threw the box in the fireplace and waved his hand at Double D. "Nah, the thing didn't even show up," he answered.

"My apologies again, Eddy… I would have come with you, but Ed's injuries needed immediate medical treatment," Double D sighed.

"What're you sorry for?! I said the thing didn't even show, so don't worry about it," Eddy scoffed, lighting a match and tossing it onto the box. The wood burst into life, radiating warmth throughout this unusual cold room. "I'll tend to your injury next," Double D offered. But Eddy merely blew him off with another wave of his hand. "It's fine, the scratch stopped bleeding," he stated. Then, silence.

"Then...Shall we talk?" Double D offered, gripping anxiously at his own shirt. Eddy shrugged, walking back toward the door. "What else are we going to do?" he retorted. Eddy took the key and locked the door, just to be safe, before heading back to sit on the large bed beside Ed. Soon after, Double D joined them.

"Well, let's see… Where should we begin?" he asked, thinking to himself. "How bout the beginning?" Ed offered. "Yea, the beginning sounds good," Eddy added. Double D scratched his chin in thought. "Hmm, Let me see. After we entered the house, and Ed had gone off on his own to explore the noise… yes, that's when the monster appeared. It chased after me, even though Eddy was the first to scream and run away–"

"Hey! I didn't scream! I'm no sissy! Besides, I hate supernatural things…" Eddy interrupted in a screech.

"It's rude to interrupt, Eddy!" Double D snapped. "After that I ran around the house until I lost it, somehow I wound up in the library on the second floor, and no less than half an hour later you two showed up."

"I ended up hiding in a closet upstairs… Shorty after, Ed found me, and the two of us explored the library on the first floor, but that creature ended up being there. We just barely escaped, hiding in a locked room until it went away. After that, we searched this entire house for ya! This place is a fricken maze, I tell ya!" Eddy explained. All of a sudden, Ed wrapped his arms around Eddy. "I was so scared without you guys, I was!" he cried. Double D placed his hand on his back comfortingly. "Well, we're all together now and that's all that counts. We're sorry for abandoning you, Ed," he stated sweetly. Ed moved his attention to Double D, sobbing into his shirt like a lost child.

"So, what we know so far," Eddy stated, interrupting Ed's little cry fest. Both boys moved their attention back to him now. "We entered a house that we can't leave without the key to the front door with some mad alien-monster creature after our ass and we gotta find the key to the front door in order to get out."

"Don't forget our watched and phones, Eddy," Double D added. Eddy's face went blank, pulling his new phone from his pocket and checking the screen.

"2 a.m.?! When the hell did it become 2 a.m.?!" he barked.

"That's the thing… It can't be 2 a.m., I suspect that time is askew within the confines of this building," Double D responded.

"How do we fix it?" Eddy questioned.

Double D averted his gaze to the ground. "That's the problem…"

"Can this place get any weirder?" Eddy growled.

Double D wrapped his arms around himself in fear. "I feel like a prisoner here," he sighed.

Ed's eyes began to water. "I wanna go home, guys!" he quivered. "I know, Ed, but don't think of this as a dangerous situation, think of it as a slumber party! As long as you two are by my side, I know we'll get out," Double D offered soothingly. Ed simply nodded, but said nothing.

Now, it was quiet. The only noise in the room was the crackling of the wood in the fireplace. Surrounded by each other, the Eds felt a strange warmth, almost like a shield of protection. The soothing radiance of the fire slowly made them realize just how tired they were. Eddy's jaw gaped in a huge yawn. "Well, I'm tired. Tomorrow we'll find a way out, I promise… even if it kills us we are getting outta this house," he stated.

Double D's face went slightly pale at his words, but he managed to put on a smile anyways. "Err… Indeed, we will get out tomorrow…" he murmured. Eddy stretched out next to him, pulling the covers over his neck and shoulders. Ed lay down on the opposite side of Double D, but Double D himself still remained sitting up. He glanced between his two friends in worry for a few moments before lying down himself. The whole time he lulled off to sleep, Eddy's words echoed in his mind like a broken record.

_"Tomorrow, we'll find a way out of this house, I promise… even if it kills us we are getting outta this house…"_

_"…even if it kills us…"_

* * *

**AN: Yay! Another chapter written with notepad on a plane! Ugh Plane rides are so boring, but I'm really pleased with this chapter, even though it's kinda short again. So are y'all confused yet? Don't worry it'll all be explained in due time! I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, and thanks for all the kind reviews :) Next chapter we get to hear from the other kids~ I hope I can get their personalities as well as I did the Eds... Just a By The Way… This will be the last one I write with notepad (hopefully) So expect better grammar!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Rescue Mission

**AN: Oh, Jeez! I'm sorry this took so long you guys! (All, like, 2 followers of mine! XD) I got caught up in my games and stuff, not to mention I was totally uninspired to write this chapter. Have I mentioned that I don't like writing from these guys' point of views? Well, I hope you enjoy it more than I did writing it at least!**

* * *

Chapter 4 - Rescue Mission

"I can't believe it's really here," said Jimmy in a scared voice as he gazed upward at the tall mansion before him. When the Eds had told him about this mansion yesterday, he almost didn't want to believe them. The place sounded too scary to be real, an abandoned mansion just outside Peach Creek that no one has lived in for centuries, a mansion that very few people knew of its existence. And what made it even more chilling is the fact that those three Eds, who had supposedly come here yesterday, have not returned. It was Sarah who'd noticed their absence, and from there a huge ball of worry has been growing ever since. And now, here all six of them stood in front of the house on a rescue mission to save the very Eds they've loathed since they could remember.

"Wowzers!" screeched Johnny as he walked up to stand beside Jimmy at the gate. "This place sure is huge!" Jimmy felt himself start to tremble uneasily, leaning in closer to Sarah. "This place is scary!" he wailed. "It's okay, Jimmy! No one's lived here in years! There's nothing to worry about!" Sarah offered comfortingly.

"If this is true, then why have the no-brain Ed boys not returned?" Rolf questioned. "It's haunted!" Jimmy screeched. "Dude, do you think they're okay?" Nazz asked worriedly, biting her lip. At the scene unfolding before his eyes, Kevin merely rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Pu-lease! Gimme a break! This is all just another one of Eddy's _stupid_ pranks to scare the pants off us. Just like he did the last time we dared em to go into an abandoned house!" he sneered.

"They've been gone for a whole day," Nazz pointed out.

"That don't prove nothin'!" Kevin growled.

"Then, why did Kevin-boy come with us to rescue the Ed-boys?" Rolf asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice. Kevin cracked his knuckles into the palms of his hands. "To give em a good poundin', what else?"

"I don't know, dude," Nazz intervened, still sounding quite worried. "I heard that nobody can set foot in that house easily. If they do, they will, like, anger the former owner, and he won't let them off easily."

Nazz's tale sent a chilling silence over the majority of the kids before her. All except for Kevin, of course. "Sounds to me like someone's tryin' to scare ya," he stated. All of a sudden, Jimmy latched himself onto Kevin's foot, gazing up at him with round, terrified eyes. "But Kevin! What if that's true! What if the Eds really did get—"

"Shut it, Fluffy!" Kevin barked. Jimmy immediately fell silent. "And get off my foot! The Eds are just pullin' our leg, I know it!" Sarah gritted her teeth and glared angrily at Kevin. "Hey! You watch what you say to Jimmy, bub!" she warned.

"Whatever!" groaned Kevin as he walked past the gate. "I'm goin' inside. You can join me if you want, but I'm lookin' for nothing more than to beat those dorks senseless."

Johnny, Rolf, and Nazz were quick to follow him, but Jimmy and Sarah stayed back for a moment. Now, the look of concern crossed Sarah's face as she looked upon her pathetic friend balled up on the ground on the verge of tears. "What's the matter, Jimmy? You're more scared than usual," she asked. Jimmy exchanged a glance between Sarah and the house. "It's this house, Sarah! I have a bad feeling about it! The vibes I'm getting are all icky and gross!" Jimmy wailed. Sarah placed her hand comfortingly on his shoulder with a sweet smile. "Then, we'll just look for my idiot brother and come right back out, okay? We don't have to stay too long," she said. Jimmy nodded lightly and rose from the ground. Together, he and Sarah followed Kevin.

At the front of the house, Kevin had already discovered the unlocked door, and was standing just barely inside the house. "See? The door's unlocked! The Eds had to have been here!" he growled. "You hold a good point," Rolf agreed, nodding his head.

"Come on, let's go find us some dorks," Kevin urged as he made his way fully into the house followed by all five of the other kids. As Jimmy entered the house last, he shut the front door behind them. Now inside, the six children could see just how much of a maze this place really was. There was hallways upon hallways with more doors than any of them could count. Kevin growled under his breath. "Aw man, it's gonna take forever to search this entire place!" he groaned.

Kevin glanced around this eerie home. "We'll split up. Johnny, Rolf… you're with me. The others go search the second floor. If you guys find any Eds don't let em get away," Kevin ordered, gesturing at the other three. Jimmy's heart skipped a beat, sweat gathering on the outer layer of his skin. "S-S-Split up?! Are you crazy?!" he wailed. "You can always go home, Fluffy," Kevin grunted. Jimmy had almost considered the possibility of going home, but he didn't want to let his friends down. He was always the scaredy-cat, but today… today he would be brave!

"Don't worry Jimmy, You'll be with us," said Nazz soothingly. Jimmy put on a deep frown, puffing out his chest as if to look manly. "Alright! Let's do this!" he huffed. Kevin merely rolled his eyes. "Right…" he groaned. With that, the three of them went their separate ways, heading up the stairs to the much spookier second floor.

Kevin turned to face the other two. Immediately, the feeling of being watched settled in, but Kevin merely brushed it off. "Alright, here's the plan. We'll head down this back hallway first. Keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious," he stated. As if on cue, from the dark hallway Kevin had mentioned, a large figure appeared almost out of thin air, closing in fast on the unsuspecting kids.

OoOoO

"Did you guys hear something?" Jimmy snapped fearfully, casting a glance back down the stairs. The three fell silent as they strained their ears, but only heard footsteps. "It's probably just Kevin running around. Don't worry Jimmy this house is just fine," replied Nazz, but even she sounded a bit doubtful. "Let's just search these floors and get this over with!" Sarah suggested. Nazz let out a light sigh. "I can agree with that."

Just then, a strange smell caught Sarah's nose. She paused, sniffing the air some more. "What is it?" Jimmy quivered. Sarah furrowed her brow. This smell was familiar, and she knew exactly what it was. She pinched her nose, wafting the smell away from her. "Ew! It smells like my brother's room!" she gagged. "Oh, that's what that was? It smells like something died!" Jimmy stated. "This is good! That means that your brother must be close by," Nazz said cheerily. Jimmy glanced around for any sign of the Eds, but instead found something far more chilling. On the stairs leading to the third floor was a trail of what looked to be blood. His body went frigid and cold.

"U-Um… G-Guys? Is that Blood?" Jimmy stammered, pointing at the trail. The other two gazed at the red liquid in shock. "It sure looks like it…" Nazz stated weakly. Sarah took a hold of Jimmy by his hand and began to head up the stairs. "Let's start at the top floor," she suggested. However, Nazz did not follow. "I'm going to stay on this floor and look around, you two go ahead," she stated.

"Are you sure? What if there really is something here?" Sarah cautioned. But Nazz merely shook her head. "We're probably just way over-thinking this, dude. Maybe one of the Eds just cut themselves on accident. It's probably nothing serious," she suggested. Sarah figured she was probably right, which seemed to ease her mind a little bit. Yet, there was still this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that this was something far more serious.

"Good luck to ya then," Sarah offered, heading up the stairs. "Be careful, Nazz!" Jimmy added, following Sarah close behind. Now on the third floor, the two could begin their search. "Let's just check all the rooms, Jimmy. We can peek inside really quickly and get back to the others as soon as possible," Sarah suggested. Jimmy could not stop shaking, even as he nodded in agreement. Sarah took note of this right away. "Don't be scared, Jimmy! Nazz was probably right! We gotta be over-thinking this whole thing!" she offered. "I can't help it, Sarah! Everywhere we go I feel like I'm being watched. This place has trouble written all over it!" Jimmy wailed. Sarah's face softened in sympathy. "I have to agree with you there," she sighed. "Let's just get this over with."

The two moved about the third floor, peeking briefly into the piano room, and then into the library. "Look at all these books! Double D would sure be in heaven here," Jimmy commented. "No kidding, Jimmy! This place has more books than our school library," Sarah retorted. Suddenly, Sarah jolted. "Oh yea!" she gasped. "I almost forgot I'd texted my brother earlier. I wonder if he's replied yet." Sarah reached into her pocket and pulled out her new cell phone, but the screen was as blank as she'd left it. She clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth in disappointment. "No service," she grunted. "Let's just keep looking."

The two of them continued their search, moving onto the top floor and looking around every room, but still with no luck finding any of the Eds. Now, Sarah and Jimmy stood in the hall. "We didn't find any Eds, Sarah!" Jimmy pointed out as if it wasn't obvious. Sarah scratched the back of her head, the look of worry was apparent on her face. "Maybe they got bored and went home. Why don't we just leave?" she suggested hopefully. Jimmy let out an enormous sigh of relief. "Yes! Home sounds wonderful!"

Just then, a blood-curdling scream echoed down the hallways, seemingly reaching just about every room and rattling the timbers to their core. Sarah and Jimmy froze. There was no mistaking that scream; it was Johnny. The fear returned to Jimmy's being as he began to shiver again. "T-That was Johnny! It sounded like he was in pain..." Jimmy whimpered. "It's probably just Kevin pushing him around," said Sarah hopefully, though in reality that scream sounded just as terrifying to her as well. Now, the house was quiet again, but Sarah and Jimmy were still frightened.

"Let's just get Nazz and find the others! This place is too scary for just the two of us!" Jimmy wailed. Sarah nodded in agreement, and then the two headed quickly back down the stairs, following the trail of blood until they came to the spot they'd agreed to meet Nazz back on the second floor. However, Nazz was not there. Immediately, Jimmy's thoughts went to the worst case scenario. "They got Nazz too!" he shrieked.

"Oh brother, I bet she's still checking this floor out! Let's just look for her, C'mon!" Sarah retorted in a slightly irritated voice. Everything was just fine, it had to be. So far, the two of them have been just about everywhere without running into anything. It was merely Jimmy's constant worry that got Sarah all riled up. Yet, all the while she couldn't help but to notice this strange, stabbing feeling of sadness that prodded at her own heart. She tried her best to ignore it, but the farther the two headed down the hallway, following the trail of blood, the worse it got. Finally, they stopped at a door down the hall. This room seeped with the stench of Ed. Sarah knew he had to be in here, or at least have been in this room at one point or another. If he wasn't here, she was going to go home. Slowly, she reached out toward the doorknob, but Jimmy shrill voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Ed! There you are, you silly goose!" he cried out cheerily as he pranced farther down the hall. Sarah glanced down the hall and sure enough she saw the familiar green jacket that she's come to know as her brother's. A part of her wanted to sigh in relief, but something else told her that something still wasn't right. "Jeepers Ed, you scared the living daylights out of us!" Sarah groaned as he walked up to stand by Jimmy. Yet, Ed did not respond. He didn't even move, let alone flinch at Sarah's appearance. Sarah took a hold of his shoulder, getting ready to pull him in for a good lecture, when the jacket fell limp to the floor. It would seem Ed never was inside to begin with. Now, Sarah knew something was up. Ed wouldn't just leave his jacket lying around like this. Then, she spotted it. The left shoulder of his jacket was torn away; the outer edges of the tear were stained red. She picked up the jacket, sniffing the deep red blotch, almost expecting it to be paint or tomato sauce. She hoped desperately that this was all just one of Eddy's pranks like Kevin said, but as she smelled the rancid jacket she was hit with the strong scent of iron. This was blood.

Sarah's body became chillingly still as she felt herself shake uneasily. "I-Is that… blood?" Jimmy asked meekly. Sarah was almost too eloped with her own thoughts to even hear Jimmy, but she still nodded slowly. Why was there blood on Ed's Jacket? Where the heck was the guy anyways?! He was… alright wasn't he? Sarah glanced at Jimmy, the look of pure terror reflected in her dilated pupils. "I've got a bad feeling bout this…" she murmured, her voice sounding as if she were on the verge of vomiting. Though Ed can be an idiot, though he tends to annoy her most of the time, though Ed isn't exactly the closest person Sarah has in this world, he was still her brother and the thought of losing him sent cold chills up her spine.

The jacket fell to the floor, but Sarah remained frozen where she was. Though a situation like this would usually call for Jimmy being terrified out of his shorts, seeing how alarmed and frail Sarah's being was, he had no choice but to pretend to be brave. "Um… It's alright, Sarah, Ed is sure to be just fine! I know it" he offered, but his words did little to aid in this situation. He pondered for a minute, running out of encouraging words in his mind. Truthfully, he knew his lies were unbelievable. Not when the truth sat in a red and green heap on the wooden floor.

"It's not like we found his body. Ed has to be alright," Jimmy added weakly.

Sarah glanced at her friend hopelessly. "We have to find the others," she whimpered. Jimmy nodded in agreement, and together they headed back down the stairs. Once at the bottom, they paused. There was no one to be found down here either. Just when things began to look hopeless, they heard a loud racket coming from the hallway to their left followed by Kevin's pained screech. Something definitely wasn't right here. Sarah and Jimmy bolted down the hall, slammed into the last door at the end of the hall and into to kitchen; however, the scene they found unfolding before their eyes was only more gut-churning. In this room stood Kevin and Rolf, bloodied and beaten, facing off with what they could only describe as a monster. It was a grey alien-like creature. The monster itself was easily taller than Rolf. Both Sarah and Jimmy went frigid and cold at the sight of it.

"It's about time… Give us a hand here!" Kevin snarled as he glanced at the two. "What the heck is that thing?!" Sarah screeched, her face turning a sickly pale color. "I knew it! This house is bad news! We have to get out of here!" Jimmy wailed, clinging tightly to Sarah. Kevin merely gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Hey! Quit yer squawkin'! We could use a little help over here!" he growled. Just then, the monster made a lunge for Kevin while he was distracted. Sarah and Jimmy let out a terrified screech. "KEVIN!" they cried out fearfully.

Luckily, Rolf came to his aid, knocking the creature back with an old-world axe he had been holding onto. He had originally hoped to use this axe to scare the Eds, but it would seem it had a greater purpose now. Rolf stood before Kevin, sleeves pulled back to show off his muscle-equipped arms. "That is what you get for trying to eat Rolf's friends, creature who resembles a hairless Chupacabra!" Rolf growled menacingly. The creature rolled back on its feet, standing on all fours before them once more with not a single scratch or bruise on its grey skin, even when Rolf used the sharp blade of his axe. "Looks like this'll be a tough nut to crack," Kevin grunted.

It was then Jimmy took notice of a fairly large scratch in the middle of Kevin's arm, just above where the sleeve of his lime-green shirt had been torn away. It was bleeding pretty badly, and the wound itself looked horrific. "Kevin! You need to have your arm patched up quickly!" he squealed in worry.

"You'll be patching up a whole lot more if we don't get rid of this thing!" Kevin snapped. Sarah ran over to the corner of the room where a golf club had been perched against the wall. "I hate to admit it, but he's right. Let's beat this thing to a pulp, and then we'll worry about the situation!" Sarah ordered as she ran back toward them with the golf club in hand.

Once more, the monster charged them, and again it was Rolf who intervened. He brought the creature to a halt, clashing the axe with the monster's clawed hands. Just like the last time, the blade of the axe wouldn't pierce his skin. The creature strained on the axe, pushing Rolf a few inches back before Rolf regained the upper hand, easily forcing himself back. He tried to swing the axe free of the monster's grip, but was merely knocked back along with it in the force. He saw his chance, and swung the blade around quickly, knocking the monster upside the head with the plate-like center of his axe. Finally, the monster was knocked off its feet. Rolf fell backwards, panting profoundly. "Rolf is tired. Rolf can do no more," he moaned.

"That's alright… you did enough," Kevin grunted as the monster regained its footing. "We can take it down."

Sarah and Kevin charged the creature, but just as they approached it, they were knocked away by its whip-like tail. They were sent back, tumbling and screaming. Kevin managed to stop himself, but Sarah kept rolling until she hit the wall. Dizzily, she sat up, but was unable to become sturdy enough to move. The monster had already decided her as its next target, and was catching up fast.

"Sarah! Get out of the way!" Jimmy wailed. But still, Sarah merely stumbled around. The creature was practically on top of her, all it needed was another second before it could kill her and devour her body. Jimmy felt his heart fall to his stomach. "SARAH!"

Just in the nick of time, Kevin put himself between the monster and Sarah, holding it off with merely his bare hands. The monster snorted angrily as it glared into Kevin's eyes threateningly. He was already trying his hardest to keep the creature at bay, but he knew he was no match. He knew this wasn't all of the monster's strength. The scratch on his arm began to drip profusely with more blood under the pressure, the nerve endings in his arms were screaming out in pain. But he couldn't give up. Some of the blood dripped down onto Sarah's pink shirt, staining the threads with a dark crimson red. Now, having fully regained herself, Sarah became frightened and worried. "Kevin! Your arm is going to—"

"I know! Just get out of here! I won't let this thing hurt you!" he grunted. Sarah attempted to move, but her jeans were wedged under Kevin's foot. She knew if he moved at all the creature would nab him and that would be the end. "I'm stuck, Kevin!" Sarah wailed. He cast a brief glance at Jimmy, who was still standing near the store fear-struck. "Hey Fluffy! If yer gonna be useful now's the time to do it!" Kevin growled in annoyance. Suddenly, the monster pushed down on Kevin's arms, its skin tearing away to form a mouth with jagged teeth. It leaned in, preparing for its meal, but Kevin still tried his hardest to push back. He could feel its hot breath on his face, and he could swear he almost felt its teeth on his skin.

Was this really the end?

All of a sudden, from the door to the kitchen something darted inside, and in a split second was beside the three of them. Kevin barely got a good look at what it was, only catching a familiar glimpse of yellow before this mysterious being leapt into the air and knocked the monster back quite a ways. Whoever this was had saved them. Kevin and Sarah scrambled to their feet. Kevin had a word of thanks on the tip of his tongue, but lost it as he looked at exactly who it has that'd saved them. It was Eddy.

"Eddy!" he screeched angrily. Eddy glanced around the room at everyone. "What the heck are you all doing here?!" he demanded.

"We came here to get you guys!" Sarah retorted in a similar tone. "Eddy! You're a hero! You saved them!" Jimmy wailed, latching himself onto Eddy's person. Eddy quickly pushed him off. "Let go, Curly-Q! This fight ain't over yet!" Eddy growled. As if on cue, the monster burst up from the ground and charged at Eddy. "I have some unfinished business with you, Ugly!" Eddy shouted as he charged back. Eddy struck the monster right in the forehead with his iron pipe, causing it to fall to the floor and vanish into thin air. The room fell deadly silent as Eddy took a few steps back, staring at the spot the monster had vanished with a nasty scowl on his face. "Damn, it vanished again," he hissed.

"Did you see that? He beat it so easily…" Sarah breathed in awe. Even Rolf, who was beginning to recover a bit, gazed at Eddy in amazement. "Thank you, Ed-boy. You have saved us," he added weakly, shakily rising to his feet. "Rolf was sure this was the end for us."

Yet, despite it all Kevin managed to appear as un-amused as ever, crossing his arms across his chest and tapping his foot impatiently. "It's no surprise that _you_ of all people came to save us," he accused suspiciously. Eddy bared his teeth angrily and whipped his glare at Kevin. "I didn't come to save your sorry ass. If you must know, that _thing_ took Ed last night. I wanna know where it took him, and I'm not going to rest until I find him!" Eddy bit back angrily. Even at the sincerity in Eddy's voice, Kevin's frown deepened in disgust.

"Sounds fishy to me," he grunted.

"What?!" Eddy snapped back.

"You heard me! I know you too well, Dorky. I know this is just another one of your stupid scams! I'm not fallin' for it this time! So just give back Johnny before I beat 'im outta ya!" Kevin demanded.

Suddenly, Jimmy looked worried. "Johnny went missing too?" he whimpered.

"More like kidnapped if ya ask me," Kevin retorted in an angry snort. "That monster we just fought took him off somewhere! I bet the other Eds are just in costume, trying to scare us! I know this is all you, Eddy! So give it up!"

"Is that what you think?! Well I think you are delusional, Shovel-Chin! This ain't no scam!" Eddy stated in defense.

"There's no way that those things are human, even if in disguise," Sarah pointed out. "Rolf agrees with the loud mouth one," Rolf added with a small nod. Yet still, Kevin wasn't convinced.

"They always find ways… I stand by my statement, and you have till 3 to give this up!" Kevin screeched, cracking his knuckles.

"I already told ya… I ain't pullin no scam! This ain't a prank either, and you should never have come to this house!" Eddy bantered in defense.

"One…"

"Oh, C'mon! Would I go so far as to beat myself up to prank you guys!? Think about it!"

"Two…"

"Please, Kev! You gotta believe me! This place is real, these monsters are real! Everyone here is in real danger and there's—"

"Two and a half…"

"LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE!"

With every number Kevin chanted, Eddy's voice became more distraught and desperate. It was a tone the others had never heard on him before, and that alone was enough to convince them. By this point, Kevin had leaned in extra close to Eddy, preparing his fists for a good ol' Dork pounding; however, it was Jimmy who stepped between them.

"Kevin wait!" he shrieked, almost preparing himself to get punched in the face. Kevin stopped, furrowing his brows in annoyance at Jimmy. "Outta the way, Fluffy," he warned. "Can't you hear it, Kevin? The truth in Eddy's words," Jimmy asked. Kevin stepped back and relaxed his muscles a bit.

"Listen here, bird-brain. This ain't no prank. I'm dead serious here! Believe me, I wouldn't kill ya for your money!" Eddy pleaded. "We are all in real danger."

"I believe you Eddy!" Jimmy wailed. "Ever since I first saw this house I've been on edge. There's something that's just not right about it, and this monster only proves it. Not to mention that we found Ed's jacket covered in blood."

"Rolf hops the no-brain Ed-boy is alright," Rolf stated. Kevin merely folded his arms again, but kept his words to himself. Somehow, he was still convinced that this was Eddy's fault. Eddy turned toward the door again, gesturing the others to follow him. "C'mon. Me n Double D found a safe room on the second floor… well, if you don't want to run into that thing again that is," he grunted before walking back down the hallway toward the stairs. The others followed him, even Kevin reluctantly went with the crowd. Eddy led them to their little bedroom on the second floor where Double D was waiting outside the room looking worried. At the sight of all the kids, he perked up a bit.

"What on earth are you all doing here?" he questioned as they approached.

"Apparently they came to _rescue_ us," Eddy said in a mocking voice, gesturing back at the four kids behind him.

"Did you locate Ed?" he added. Eddy's face fell in disappointment. "No."

Double D's frown deepened as he looked to the ground, biting his lip. "Then… We should probably explain the situation to the others, don't you agree, Eddy?" Double D stated, glancing up once more. Eddy continued into the room with the others close behind him. "What else can we do?" he huffed. Double D let out a heavy sigh before following them inside, locking the door behind him. The other five had already made themselves comfortable around the table.

"Okay, here's the scoop. This place is bad news if you catch my drift," Eddy began, slamming his hand into the table. "Duh! We already figured that much, stupid!" Sarah quipped. However, Eddy ignored her. "The front door is locked, as are the majority of the rooms. Our phones won't work, and time is all screwed up!" he explained in a grimacing tone. Double D approached him, placing his hand on his shoulder gently. "Eddy, you need to be more placid with your tone. Sooth your voice, they did nothing wrong. There's no need to sound so angry," he instructed, trying to demonstrate said tone with his own voice.

"I ain't calming down till we find Lumpy!" Eddy bit back.

"So lemme get this straight," Kevin interrupted. Now, all eyes were on him. "You say one dork is missin', to add to that list… Nazz and Johnny are also missing now too. Still sounds kinda suspicious to me."

"I didn't do it, Kevin!" Eddy screeched.

"Can you prove it?!" he challenged back.

Double D drew in a breath to speak, but Jimmy beat him to it. "He already has, Kevin! Aren't you listening?"

Kevin gritted his teeth as he moved his glare toward Jimmy. "Yea, and so far he hasn't said one thing that's even remotely convincing!" he snapped.

"It is not what the loud-mouth Ed-Boy has said. The way he speaks is not like himself. And to add to this, he is covered in wounds that would make one who was just mauled by a savage beast look healthy in comparison," Rolf stated.

"For once, I agree. I don't think this is a simple prank this time, Kevin," Sarah added.

Feeling at a loss, Kevin slumped back in his chair. "Whatever," he groaned.

Suddenly, a sharp gasp sounded from the back of the room, followed quickly by the sound of a small metal object falling to the wooden floor. Everyone gazed back to find Double D near the fireplace, waving his hand rapidly as if to cool a burn with a pained expression on his face.

"What the heck was that all about?" Eddy exclaimed.

"I saw something in the rubble of the fireplace, but when I picked it up the metal was still really hot!" Double D winced. Eddy leapt off his chair, approaching Double D and taking a look at the metal object on the floor before him. "Another key? Where'd ya find it?" he growled.

"It seemed to have been inside that box you found last night," Double D answered. Eddy stared at the key in confusion. It was dumbfounding alright, especially since he was 100% certain there was nothing inside of that box. However, he merely brushed it off. They had another lead, and that was all that mattered. He picked up the key, which was still warm, but not too hot handle anymore. It would appear this key was to a hallway on the first floor somewhere.

All of a sudden, something rammed roughly into the door, causing just about everybody in the room to jump. It would seem this room was no longer safe. "It's the thing! Eddy, what do we do?!" Jimmy shrieked. The creature clawed viciously at the door as thoughts raced rapidly through Eddy's mind. From this point on, they had to keep moving forward no matter what. Even if it meant splitting up.

"Jimmy, Sarah… you guys go to the piano room on the third floor. There was something strange about that room, try to see if you can find anything!" Eddy instructed. Jimmy clung to Sarah, shivering in fear as the creature continued to slam itself into the door. "O-Okay… but what about you?" Jimmy quivered uneasily.

"I'll stay behind and fight this thing… the rest of you look around the hallway this key unlocks."

"Oh, no ya don't!" Kevin objected. "I'm staying right here and fighting this thing too." Though his words sounded helpful, this was really Kevin's way of seeing if he was right all along. He wanted to see if this monster was really a monster or if it was just Ed in some super-modified suit. With these three, there really was no telling what they could come up with.

"Rolf will assist you Kevin! He must teach this monster what it means to toss around the son of a shepherd like he is easy prey," Rolf snorted, clutching tighter at his axe. Eddy raised a brow at their disobedience to his plan, but otherwise had no objects.

"Alright, then Sock-head and I will explore the hallway. Any objections?" Eddy stated. Just then, the monster broke off a fairly large chunk of the door, and with one more shove it knocked the door clean off its hinges. It now stood in the entrance of the room, fangs dripping with saliva on hunger as it overlooked its choice of prey. With newfound energy, Rolf leapt forward, knocking the monster right back out the door and into the opposite wall. "Flee! While it is down!" he urged. The four not fighting the monster ran past him and down the hall. Double D paused for a brief moment, casting a worried glance back at Rolf. "Will you be alright?" he asked. Kevin leapt out the door to join Rolf. "Don't worry bout us, we got this thing," Kevin grunted.

"C'mon, hurry it up, Sock-head!" Eddy yelled from down the hall. Double D merely remained still, contemplating is next move carefully.

"Just… don't lose, okay?" he whimpered before turning back to run after Eddy down the hallway.

* * *

**AN: Oh my Goodness, it is hard to control so many people at once. This is the first time I've written a scene with more than 2-3 people in it, so I hope it's at least decent. Sorry for mistakes, I'll fix them when it's not 3:30 a.m. And I hope you are enjoying the story so far. From here one out, things should start getting more interesting. **


	5. Chapter 5 - Pianos and Pieces of Paper

**AN: Just a little FYI, cause I don't remember if I've mentioned this or not. This story takes place a year or two after the series ended. The older ones are sophomores in high school and Sarah/Jimmy are freshman. But just for old time's sake I kept their same designs. ****I'm not lazy at all.**** Sorry if I forgot. I'm a forgetful person. Anyways, enjoy Chapter 5!**

* * *

Chapter 5 – Pianos and Pieces of Paper

"Don't you think that creature looked a bit larger than last time?" Double D asked in as Eddy attempted to unlock the door at the end of the main hall on the first floor. After giving the knob a good tug, he glanced over at his friend with a raised brow. "I think yer seein' things," he commented. Double D fumbled anxiously with his shirt. "Maybe we should go back and assist them…" he offered hesitantly. Eddy had already given up on the door and was walking back down the hallway. "Those two will be fine. You seem to forget that's Kevin and Rolf fighting," Eddy snapped.

"And you seem to forget that it was you who had to rescue them no less than 15 minutes ago!" Double D bit back in a raised tone as he followed him.

"Jeez Louis, You worry too much," Eddy griped. "Those two will be fine." Even from here, the two could hear the scrap unfolding upstairs, but in a way Double D had no choice but to believe Eddy's words. "If you say so," he breathed, stopping beside the staircase while Eddy just kept walking.

"Eddy, wait!" Double D urged. Obediently, Eddy stopped, glaring back at his friend in annoyance. "What is it now?!" he demanded. Double D approached him, looking on in worry. "Just promise me one thing," he stated.

"And that would be?"

"If we happen to run into that thing... Promise me you'll run. Promise me you won't fight it," Double D stated.

Eddy paused for a moment, almost shocked that Double D would say such a doubtful thing. "Yea, whatever. I promise I will," he groaned as he continued walking. The two headed down the hallway beside the stairs, the hallway neither of them had explored up until now. Right at the end, on the right hand side of the wall, was a door. "This door seems promising," Double D pointed out, but Eddy was already on it, sticking the key into the hole. "Ten steps ahead of ya, Sherlock," he commented. The latch turned successfully with the key and the door swung open only to reveal a dark hallway. Eddy walked fearlessly inside, feeling around the wall for the light switch. "C'mon, where the heck's the stupid switch," he growled impatiently. Merely a second later, his face lit up, indicating that he'd found it, but once he flipped the light on the two only found the monster sitting in the middle of the hallway. Double D could have called that one if fear hadn't taken over and rendered him almost speechless.

"Eddy, run!" Double D shouted, pulling his pal by the collar of his shirt just as the creature burst from the door in pursuit. This time, the creature was much faster, easily keeping up, if not gaining on the two boys. Once Eddy regained his footing, the two darted back down the way they'd came, heading down the left hallway and throwing themselves into the only open door of the bathroom. They used their bodies to barricade the door as the creature continually slammed itself into it.

"Wait, if that thing's here then that must mean—" Eddy stated shakily, but was cut off when the creature slammed the door again. Double D's eye averted down to Eddy beside him. "Now, Eddy… Let this about this ration-ALLY!" Double D said as the wind was knocked from his lungs in the next slam. Sweat was dripping from just about every inch of his skin. It was painfully obvious that he was worried too.

"Rationally?!" Eddy screeched. "Nothing in this house is rational, Double D!"

"Yes, but how would that creature defeat Kevin and Rolf, then have enough time to hide itself behind a locked door? If you think about it, even in this mysterious mansion it makes absolutely no sense!" Double D explained.

"Are you suggesting that there's more than one of those things?" Eddy questioned in a ghastly tone. Double D furrowed his brows uneasily. "It could be a possibility."

It was then the two noticed how quiet it had gotten. Eddy opened the door just a smidge as he peered out into the hallway. "It seems to be gone," he whispered, rising back to his feet again. Double D crawled up beside him, peeking out the door himself. "How can you be so certain, Eddy?" he whimpered quietly. Eddy opened the door all the way, tip-toeing down the hall to peer around the corner. Double D pushed himself off the ground and trotted after Eddy.

"The coast is clear," Eddy stated, talking normally once again. He began to walk back the way them came, pausing to gesture for Double D to follow him. "C'mon. I want to check something else in the kitchen first," he said before turning to walk on. Double D remained still for a moment more, glancing around and pulling down nervously on his hat. However, he had no choice but to reluctantly follow Eddy. If he were to be caught alone with that monstrous creature, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Together they made their way back toward the kitchen. Once inside, they stopped. Since the last time Eddy had been in here, nothing seemed to have moved out of place. After glancing around and finding nothing interesting, Double D looked down at Eddy. "What was it you wanted to investigate?" he asked. Eddy scratched his chin, narrowing his eyes unsurely as he gazed at the door beyond the fridge.

"There's somethin' about the door…" he stated. Double D moved his attention to the door as well, but to him there was nothing special about it. It was just another door among the many others that inhabited this labyrinth. "The door?" Double D questioned. Eddy ignored the near-ghastly tone of his pal and walked up to it. "Yes, the door! This door could lead to our ticket outta here, smart guy!" he quipped. To Eddy's surprise, the door was cracked open just a hair. "Hey, it's open," he stated in a much quieter tone. Double D approached him from behind. "It is…?"

Eddy opened the door. Inside, there was a small room with a cabinet and a bookshelf. It turns out there was nothing special about this room at all. Double D took the knob in his hand, and immediately noticed something strange. "Odd, the knob itself is still locked," he murmured, jiggling the stubborn handle harder just to be sure. However, his statement didn't catch Eddy's attention at all. In fact, his attention was solely focused on the lone bookshelf. Double D watched Eddy as he turned his head and shuffled around as if to get a better look at something on the bookshelf. Yet, as Double D himself looked upon the simple wooden structure, he found nothing strange or interesting at all.

"Eddy, what on _earth_ are you doing?!" Double D demanded.

Just then, Eddy grabbed Double D, pulling him a bit closer and pointing at something just beyond the bookshelf. "Do ya see it?" he asked. Double D merely grimaced at Eddy's incredibly vague question. "See what?!" he barked.

"Look!" Eddy urged, pushing his friend closer to the crack between the bookshelf and the wall. "There's something back there!" Sure enough, as Double D strained his eyes his could barely make out the end on a rectangular black spot against the wall. But with the crappy lighting in this room, it was hard to make out just what it was. Eddy released his grip on Double D and attempted to move the bookshelf to the side. "C'mon! Help me move this thing!" he growled. With Double D's assistance, and a little more effort, they managed to slide the heavy bookshelf away from this mysterious object. Now in clearer view, they could tell that this was a safe. Immediately, Eddy's face lit up.

"It's a safe! I knew that sucker left some cash behind!" he squealed excitedly. Eddy went to open the box, but found that it wouldn't budge. "What the… It's locked!" he growled. "Well that was predictable… looks like we'll need to find the combination. Perhaps the previous landowner left it lying around somewhere," Double D stated. Eddy leapt back, standing in the doorway. "Well, what are we waitin' for?! Let's go check that hallway!" he snapped. Double D sighed lightly in annoyance; sometimes Eddy can be so foreseeable. Yet, he followed him none-the-less.

Now back at the hallway door, Eddy confidence seemed to disappear. The memory of the monster from merely a few minutes ago over-powered his lust for whatever was in that safe. He took a step back, shoving Double D up to the door, who merely glanced back in fear at Eddy as he was left quivering in front if the door.

"You open it! I opened it last time…" Eddy instructed nervously. Double D's pupils grew in fear as sweat dripped from his brow. "B-But Eddy—"

"But nothin'! Just open it!" Eddy interrupted.

With a great deal of hesitation, Double D took the knob in his hand and slowly creaked open the door, peering inside. At first glance, there appeared to be nothing on the other side of the door. Courageously, he took a few steps past the door, still incredibly nervous. Eddy was quick to join him, hiding himself behind Double D's body. He glanced around frantically, just waiting for the monster to pop out of thin air, or morph through the wall. But after a long moment of silence, nothing of the sort happened. In fact, nothing happened at all. Eddy relaxed his tense muscles with a quick sigh. "How come when _I_ open the door, there's a monster, but when _you_ open it there's nothin'?!" he griped.

"What are you shouting at _me_ for?! It's not like I told that abomination to appear only when you opened the door," Double D bit back sourly. Eddy now freely wondered about the hallway. "Whatever," he grunted, making a b-line for the sliding closet doors to their left. He slide the door open, but found that the closet was empty with the exception of a torn piece of paper on the ground. He picked up the paper, examining it carefully. On the piece of paper were two colored squares, one yellow and the other red. The piece of paper almost looked familiar in a way, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

"What have we here?" Double D inquired as he approached Eddy from behind, taking the piece of paper in hand and examining it with his magnifying glass. "I dunno, just found it in this closet," Eddy groaned, shrugging his shoulders.

"It almost appears to be a code of some sort; however, the other half of this page seems to be missing," Double D pointed out, looking over the rough edges of the tear very carefully. Eddy gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Oh, like we'll be able to find that stupid thing in this ginormous—…" Eddy suddenly paused as he realized why this sheet of paper had looked so familiar. He reached into his pocket and pulled out another crumpled sheet, similar to the one he'd found only the squares were green and blue. It was the piece of paper he'd found in the fourth floor bedroom when he and Ed were looking for Double D. Eddy turned to Double D, practically shoving the paper into his face. "This it?!" he asked excitedly. Double D took the piece of paper in hand, looking over the two in astonishment. He took the second sheet and put the two papers together. It was a perfect fit.

"By George, you got it, Eddy!" Double D breathed in awe. Eddy smirked playfully. "It was nothin' special," he gloated, even though it was only luck that he'd found the paper. Double D held up the completed page, but even completed, this mysterious code still didn't make any sense. "Well, what does it mean?" Double D wondered aloud. Eddy waved the paper away, walking back toward the door. "I say it's some stupid drawing. That ain't no code if I've ever seen one," he growled.

Suddenly, a rather loud ringing echoed throughout the room, causing both Eddy and Double D to nearly jump out of their pants. "What in heaven's name is going on?!" Double D wailed out in terror. "Is that my phone?!" Eddy gasped as he reached into his pocket once more, pulling out his cell phone and looking at the screen in confusion. There was no caller I.D. on the screen, and even stranger, still no service.

"Goodness Eddy, does it need to be that loud?" Double D shouted, rubbing his ears in pain. Eddy answered the phone, putting it on speaker for the both of them to hear. At first, there was only silence. Eddy and Double D exchanged nervous glances. "Um… H-Hello?" Eddy stammered into the phone. Almost immediately, there was the sound of a single piano note before the caller hung up once more. The two boys could only stare at the phone, baffled by what had just happened. Could that have been Sarah and Jimmy calling for help from the piano room? Or was this really something far more than that? So far, nothing in this house made any sense at all, and the longer they stayed, the more confusing it became. Eddy glanced at the piece of paper, then at his phone, and lastly at Double D, who was staring back in concern.

"Why don't we just meet up with the others?"

oOoOoO

"Here it comes again, Rolfie-boy!" Kevin shouted as the monster burst from the ground and charged for the two boys. Rolf flexed his muscles in anticipation, bringing his axe up for an attack. "Rolf has had enough of your games!" he growled before charging back. His axe clashed with the monster's hands, only this time Rolf seemed to have the upper hand. The fight had been going on for at least 15 minutes now, and both boys were pretty beat up, but still they managed to hold their own.

From behind, Kevin darted up and gave the creature a firm punch to the side of its face, knocking it away. Kevin held up his fist triumphantly. "Awesome! Another hit down," he stated. However, the creature merely rose back to its feet again. "This creature's fortitude is to be admired," Rolf wheezed. "You can say that again, this is going to take forever at this rate," Kevin added. The creature burst from the floor again, charging for Kevin at a much greater speed than before. It was so quick, that Kevin had to time to react before the monster struck him across the chest, creating a fairly large wound which began to bleed. He screeched out in pain, and as Rolf realized what had happened, he too was struck. Rolf stumbled backward, gripping at his chest where the monster had gotten him.

All of a sudden, there was a loud thud. Rolf glanced up to see what had happened only to see Kevin pinned against the wall by his own neck. He was trying desperately to free himself, tugging at the monster's hands and kicking his feet violently as he gagged for breath. Rolf had to think quickly, if he didn't do something soon Kevin could very well die. Ignoring the immense pain in his new wounds, Rolf brought up his axe once more and charged at the monster, swinging the blade directly into its forehead. The creature tumbled backwards, releasing Kevin and vanishing into thin air. Kevin and Rolf had won.

Both of them collapsed to the floor in exhaustion. "That monstrosity was much stronger than Rolf remembers. Rolf thanks Kevin-boy for coming to his aid or Rolf would not be sitting here right now," Rolf panted. "I woulda been a whole lot better if I had somethin' to fight with," Kevin groaned in return. "But I musta misplaced my tools back home cause I couldn't find em."

Kevin suddenly winced, cringing forward as he clutched at his wounds. "Your injuries need to be healed right away," Rolf commented. Kevin panted furiously, leaning his head against the wall. "I'll be fine after I rest," he stated. Then, things fell quiet for a long moment.

"Rolf finds it strange that this hairless Chupacabra only dissolves into the air. Rolf cannot tell if he won or not," said Rolf randomly. "Yea, I know…" Kevin stated. He looked down at his wound, which had began to close up a little bit. "If it didn't die, it'll most likely be back. I don't even want to think of the possibility of there bein' more than one of those monsters… this cycle could be endless."

"Rolf is afraid of that as well," Rolf murmured, glancing at the ground in slight fear.

"There's no way that this is Dorky's doing…" Kevin admitted, somewhat shamefully. "Oh?" Rolf inquired, slightly intrigued. "I mean… Eddy n I may not be on the best of terms, but I still know him… and I know he ain't smart enough to pull off something like this," Kevin continued. Then, he moved his angry glare toward Rolf and pointed his finger at him. "But don't you dare tell him I said that! If he found out, I'd never hear the end of it," he growled. Rolf put on a small smile, but nodded anyways. "Do not worry, Rolf's lips are sealed," he reassured. "But even if that's true, that only makes this situation a whole lot worse… I have a bad feelin' bout this place," Kevin groaned as he rose to his feet once more.

"Come on, Rolf… Let's go meet up with the o—"

"Shush, Rolf hears something…!" Rolf hissed suddenly, interrupting Kevin. They both fell dreadfully silent as Rolf strained to listen. At first, Kevin didn't hear a thing, but as the seconds ticked by, he could barely hear the steady rhythm of a clock. Other than that, there was nothing interesting. However, Rolf still hunted the room for the sound, searching the bookshelf, under the bed and finally the wardrobe, where he found a simple table clock. Now out of its confinement, the tik-tok of the clock was much louder, almost like a thunderstorm in this deadening silence. Over the second, Rolf became more and more frustrated, gripping harder at the clock until he finally snapped, and smashed the thing against the floor. The clock shattered into tiny pieces, and the sound stopped.

Kevin could only watch his friend, baffled by his sudden irritated behavior. "Dude, it's just a clock… you didn't hafta break it," he grunted. Rolf stomped back to stand beside Kevin, looking down on him in annoyance. "The tik-tok of this time doohickey was loud and annoying like the voice of the three-haired Ed-boy," Rolf commented. Kevin rolled his eyes. "Right..." he quipped. Instinctively, he checked his watch for the time, even though Kevin was well aware of the time issue. However, he quickly found something strange as he did so. The time on his watch read 10:34. He blinked slowly in confusion. "Whoa, time is fixed? But how?" he asked.

"Maybe these annoying doohickeys are causing this strange flow of time," Rolf suggested. Kevin glanced at him in astonishment. "You might be onto somethin', amigo," he stated. "There could be more on this floor, should be break them as well?" Rolf asked.

"Sounds good to me. C'mon, Let's—"

Suddenly, a hard rock song filled the room. Kevin glanced at his pocket in confusion, taking out his phone. "What the… we can get calls now too?" he wondered aloud. Yet, as he opened up his phone and observed the screen he saw that there was still no service and no caller I.D. either. Kevin's gut churned unsurely, but he still answered the call none-the-less. "Yello, Kevin here," he answered in a suave tone, even though he was skeptical himself.

Right off the bat, all Kevin heard was a single piano note before the caller hung p, leaving Kevin with nothing but the beeping tune. He glanced at his phone, baffled. "What causes Kevin-boy to make such a face?" Rolf urged.

"I-I have no idea… all I heard was a piano," Kevin stated.

"A piano?" Rolf questioned.

Kevin remained silent, still holding onto to his phone.

"How about for now we just break those clocks. Then, we can meet up with the others and explain to them what happened."

oOoOoO

"I dunno, Jimmy," Sarah sighed. "This place isn't really all that interesting."

The two of them stood in the middle of the piano room, but so far the only think that seemed remotely special was the piano. Jimmy cowered behind Sarah, shaking ferociously in fear. "This room gives me the heebie-jeebies!" he commented. "You said that when we came into this house! Now, C'mon, help me look for something important," Sarah stated, walking off toward the bookshelves lining the walls. Jimmy decided to be brave, and strayed away from his friend, heading right for the big, white piano in the center of the room. He ran his hands over the smooth surface. "This grand piano is magnificent," he complimented, heading down toward the keys. The keys to the piano were decorated sloppily with all sorts of numbers ranging in colors from red to green and everything in between, well by everything he meant blue and yellow too. "Who on earth would violate such a beautiful piece of work like this?!" Jimmy gasped, pushing down on one of the keys, filling the room with its magnificently beautiful note. "Wow, who would have thought that after all these years this piano would still be in perfect tune?" he breathed in awe. Jimmy sat himself on the bench, overlooking the numbers on the keys again. It was strange alright, but was it really graffiti someone randomly put on there? Or was it something more than that?

"Jimmy, did you find anything?" Sarah asked. Jimmy's train of thought broke loose from its tracks and he whipped his attention toward his friend. "No, nothing really," he stated.

"Well, I'm going to check the room next door. You stay here in case the others show up. I'll be right back," Sarah stated, gesturing toward the door with her thumb before turning to walk out of the room. Strangely, Jimmy was alright with being here by himself. Though this room was certainly strange, he didn't feel as if he were in any real danger here. He gazed blankly at the keys once again. What was he thinking about? He couldn't remember.

Jimmy strained to think back to how this all began. It had begun back at school, when The Eds announced they wanted to come here. After that, things just seemed to go downhill. "Those darn Eds…" he mumbled to himself. "They're always the reason for every misfortune that falls upon me. I wish they'd never existed."

As Jimmy sat on the bench, loathing the Eds, the door creaked open once more. This sound caught Jimmy's attention and snapped him from his trance. It would seem some of his friends were here already. However, as he peered over the top of the piano he quickly found that this was no friend at all. Standing in the doorway, sniffing around like a tracking dog, was the monster. Jimmy's body immediately froze. He had the urge to scream out, but his scream only became frozen in his throat. The monster wandered around the room, stopping right beside the piano.

Jimmy remained completely still on the outside. On the inside, however, he was panicking. Why did this monster have to come when he was alone? Is this really how it's going to end? Oh, please let someone come back… Jimmy's mind whirled with thoughts. And even as the monster looked directly at him, Jimmy did not move a single muscle.

Then, the monster continued to move about, sniffing around for something unknown to Jimmy at this time. After it decided that it didn't find it in this room, the monster left without a single drop of bloodshed. However, though the monster had left the room, Jimmy could only remain frozen where he was. Did that really happen? But why didn't the monster attack him? It looked right at him, for Pete's sake!

It was then, the door creaked open again. Jimmy's gut churned. It was back! He knew it was too good to be true. He was going to be devoured like the stringy piece of meat he was with only his bones left as a reminder to the others. This was the end of his journey in life!

"Well, there was nothing in that room either… just a bunch of books." It was Sarah! Even still, Jimmy continued to stare forward with that same zombie-like face. Sarah immediately took note of this and her face became more concerned. "Jimmy? You're pale… Did something happen?" Sarah asked worriedly.

"You mean you didn't see it?!" Jimmy gasped.

Sarah merely scratched her head. "What the heck're you talking about?" she retorted.

It was baffling alright, though the fact that this monster could disappear and reappear at any given time could explain a lot. Wherever it was, Jimmy knew one thing was certain. Whatever it was looking for was obviously not in this room. He let out a long sigh, limbs still quivering from the experience.

"Never mind then… I just don't think that Monster will be coming here anytime soon."

* * *

**AN: I am slowly getting back my inspiration to write this. I am hoping to get a few more chapters before school starts again, because by that point the releases will be slower (as if they aren't already.) I do plan on finishing this though; I made it my New Year's Resolution. Even if no one really likes it, I'm going to finish this story, damn it! I hope you enjoyed Chapter 5, and I apologize for any mistakes. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6 - False Memories

Chapter 6 – False Memories

All 6 kids now stood in the piano room. Astonishingly enough, they had all managed to survive, but now there were bigger questions in store. Kevin glanced around at everyone. "Alright, Good job on surviving… However, I think now would be the best time to explain what we found," he stated, taking the leader role in his speech like he always has in the past. "After we beat that thing to a pulp, we found somethin' interesting. By breaking the clocks in each room, we restored the flow of time to that specific room. Rolf n I have no idea how it works, but it does. We went ahead and broke all the clocks we could find on the first and second floor. But that aside for now, I also got a strange call from someone without a caller I.D. When I picked it up, the only thing I heard was a piano note before they hung up," Kevin explained. Suddenly, Eddy perked up in surprise. "That happened to you too?!" he gasped.

"I see, so it wasn't just me," Kevin stated uneasily. "Well, we didn't get a phone call with a piano note," Jimmy pointed out. "Wait, wasn't it you guys who called us? You're the only ones near a piano in this house," Kevin questioned. "Well…" Eddy intervened, moving all the attention to himself. "Sock-head and I found a locked safe in the kitchen and this sheet of paper in the closet. He thinks it's a code, but I think it's just a load of bologna. We also believe that the safe could have mon-… err… our ticket out of here! Before that we ran into the monster and—"

"Wait, how did you run into the monster when Kevin and Rolf were fighting it?!" Sarah interrupted.

"That's the thing," Double D stated. "We believe that there's more than one."

Kevin growled uneasily. This was certainly unsettling. "I have a confession!" Jimmy announced meekly. "When Sarah left to go check the other room, that thing came into this room! It was looking for something, but it didn't seem to see me, even though it looked directly at me."

"That only further proves it," Double D pointed out. However, the other seemed more astonished by Jimmy's stories. "Wait, it didn't see you?! How?!" Eddy demanded. "I-I'm not sure… I thought I was a goner!" Jimmy wailed. "That's interesting," Kevin stated. "And it may come in handy later."

"Hey, lemme see that!" Sarah screeched, walking up to Eddy and snatching the piece of paper from his hand. She looked over the piece of paper, walking up to the keys of the piano and observing them as well. "These colors match the ones on the piano…" she pointed out. Now, everyone moved in closer to the piano as Sarah held up the piece of paper for all to see. Sure enough, the four colors on the piano were the same as the four on the sheet of paper.

"I bet this is how we break that code!" Eddy shrieked. Double D folded his arms and turned up his nose in a gloat. "See, Eddy? I told you it was a code," he huffed.

"Yea, but how do we crack this code, smart guy?" Kevin grunted. Double D's face and posture fell uncertainly. "Erm… well…" he mumbled.

"There a bajillion numbers here that all have the same colors! How do we know which one is the real number?" Sarah challenged.

Just then, her cell phone went off from her pocket. Caught off guard, she jolted before reaching for it. Like the others before her, there was no service and no caller I.D. "Put it on speaker so we can hear it!" Kevin instructed. Sarah obeyed him, answering the call and putting in on speaker. "Hello…?" she asked hesitantly, and just like the others a piano note sounded before the call ended.

"It's just like you said…" Sarah murmured uneasily.

"Yea, but your note was different!" Kevin grunted.

"Can we hurry up and figure this out so we can get Nazz and Johnny and get the heck outta here?! I just hope it isn't too late…" Eddy screeched. Suddenly, the room fell eerily quiet as all eyes fixated on Eddy. He quickly became uneasy under the watch of everyone in the room as they all gave off a flabbergasted expression. "What?" he griped.

"Not to sound rude, but why would you say such a thing, Eddy?" Double D asked.

"Yea, Eddy… What are you talkin' about?!" Sarah added.

"What?! I'm only being honest…" Eddy retorted in annoyance.

"Rolf is confused…" Rolf murmured, scratching his head. Eddy clenched his fists in anger. "What?! Was it something I said?!" he exploded.

"Yea! You said Nazz and Johnny, but it's Ed we gotta rescue! How could you forget your own friend?!" Sarah hissed.

"What?" Eddy questioned, shoulders drooping in doubt. "Ed didn't even wanna come!"

"No, you're wrong! The ones we have to rescue are Ed and Nazz! Why did you say Johnny?" Jimmy intervened.

"What are you guys talking about?!" Double D snipped.

"Are you all stupid?!" Sarah barked. "It's just Ed we gotta rescue! Neither Nazz nor Johnny came with us!"

Eddy took a step forward. "But I remember coming here with Nazz and Kevin!" he shrieked. Double D cast a worried glance over at his friend. "Eddy, are you feeling alright? You came here with Ed and me, remember?"

"Yea! And Nazz got separated from Sarah and I. Johnny was too scared to come!" Jimmy added.

Kevin growled, holding onto his head. "Oh, come ON! You guys are givin' me a headache here," he snarled.

Suddenly, everyone in the room became uncertain. "It _was_ just Ed… wasn't it?" Sarah asked in a more gentle tone.

"What in the hell is going on…?" Eddy breathed. Then, the silence took over. Something wasn't right here. Eddy clearly remembered coming with Nazz and Kevin, but another part of him remembered coming with Ed and Double D as well. It was as if his memories were getting mixed with the others, but that couldn't be it! Some of them were even saying that some of them didn't come, but Eddy was almost 100% certain that everybody had come with them.

It was then the quiet ticking of a clock could be heard over the silence.

"Oh, it appears to be the clock for this room," Kevin stated, having picked up on the sound as well. Eddy followed the sound to a drawer in the corner of the room and pulled it open to reveal a single clock. Eddy picked it up, examining the simple clock up and down for anything suspicious. Yet, as far as he could tell, this was just your ordinary clock. "Just break it already would ya?!" Kevin demanded in annoyance. "I'm gettin' there!" Eddy barked back in return. With that, he smashed the clock against the ground.

All of a sudden, his vision dissolved away to different scenery. He looked around and found that he was outside the house, watching himself, Nazz and Kevin talking just outside the gate. Eddy looked down at his own hands and found that he was somewhat transparent, almost like a ghost. Did this mean that he was watching his own memory from a different body? From this distance, Eddy could barely hear what they were saying. Strangely enough, he couldn't recall it either. As he thought upon what happened next, the three before him dissolved away to reveal himself with only Ed. Eddy was now totally stumped. What on earth is going on here? Luckily, he could hear what they were saying this time.

"_Come on, Eddy! Double D is still inside! We gotta save him!" _Ed cried out.

Eddy knew something was definitely wrong here. Double D had even said before that he'd come here with him and Ed, but here Double D had already gone inside. There was only one explanation that made sense, and that was that these memories were frauds. They _had_ to be. Again, the figures standing before him dissolved away, and were replaced with Sarah and Jimmy accompanying Eddy this time.

"_Oh, I know! Let's scare em when they come!"_ Sarah screeched excitedly.

"_That's sounds like fun. Count me in, girlfriend!"_ Jimmy responded. The fake Eddy turned to them in annoyance. _"Would you two keep it down?! Why did you follow me if you're just gonna get in my way?!"_ he snapped.

No, this one was wrong too! The real, ghostly Eddy groaned to himself. How on earth did this really start? Was it that clock that was causing all the fake memories?

One last time, the people before him faded away and were replaced with all three Eds. Ed was clinging to the bars of the gate, looking back at the other two and shouting something about Sinful Steve. Ah, this one looked familiar now. Eddy was almost positive that this was the right one. So if these clocks really are causing this memory mix-up, then all they have to do is remember which one is real. The scenery before him dissolved back to reality.

Now, the others were huddled in a small group discussing something entirely different.

"So you think this code could go to that safe?" Kevin asked Double D, examining the paper. Eddy became suddenly annoyed. "Hey! Why aren't you all discussing the memory issue?!" he demanded. All eyes moved toward him. "Oh, you're finally back with us, are you?" Sarah griped. "We've decided that the memory issue was too difficult to solve," Rolf stated.

"Yea, let's figure out this puzzle first, and then we can look back at the memory issue. We aren't gonna get anywhere if we keep arguing with each other over something stupid right now," Kevin pointed out. Well, he had a point, Eddy had to admit.

"Ahem," Jimmy coughed, interrupting their conversation. With all attention on him now, he continued. "If I may, here's my theory. Looking at the piece of paper and the keys, I note that they all have similar colors," Jimmy stated, repeating Sarah's words from earlier. "There's really no way of telling which number could be the real one… however, maybe if we put those notes you've been getting together, we could have a match.

"That's brilliant, Jimmy!" Sarah praised. Even Kevin looked impressed by this discovery. "So those weren't just prank calls… someone is actually trying to help us," he noted.

"Yes, but you forget we are still missing one note," Rolf stated.

Just then, Eddy's ear caught a strange sound. It almost sounded as if it were a small vibration. He glanced in the general direction of the sound and found himself looking right at Double D. He could clearly see the glow from his phone permeating from the threads of his shorts.

"Hey, Sock-head it's for you," Eddy stated, reaching into Double D's pocket hand handing him the vibrating phone. Double D looked downright frightened as Eddy handed him the phone. "Eddy! Why must you insist on invading my personal space?!" he snapped. "Shut up and answer it! That has to be the last note!" Eddy demanded, shoving Double D once in the side.

Double D looked down at his phone nervously before hesitantly answering it. "Double D speaking," he stated. Eddy immediately noticed how shaky and nervous his voice sounded. Why would he be nervous talking to a piano for crying out loud?! Shortly after, he hung up. He took in a deep breath, acting almost as if he were about to walk out onto a stage in front of thousands of people. His eyes remained averted to the floor as if it couldn't be any more interesting than anything else.

"The note I heard was La," he stated, recalling the musical steps from band class. "Which one did I have earlier?" Eddy asked. "That one was Si," Double D answered.

"The one I heard was Re," Sarah said.

"Yea, and mine was Sol, I think…" Kevin added.

Over at the piano, Jimmy held down the respective notes, and matching with those notes in order were the numbers 4,2,5, and 9. Each number was a different color, which only proved that Jimmy's theory was correct. Most of the kids watching gasped in awe at this discovery. "So, now all we gotta do is see what's in that safe and hope it gets us out of this house," Kevin stated.

"Not quite," Jimmy said, holding up the piece of paper. "See how the colors on the paper don't match the ones on the piano? If we simply move them around…" he explained while taking out a pen and writing the correct number with its corresponding color on the piece of paper. Suddenly, it all made sense. "… As you can see, the correct combination for that safe is 5-2-9-4."

"Awesome! So what're we waiting for?! Let's go open that safe!" Eddy insisted.

"I'm with you on that, Dorky… the sooner we can get out of here the sooner things will return to normal," Kevin agreed, following Eddy out the door. Like sheep following their shepherd, the other kids were quick to follow as well, everyone except for Double D who merely remained where he was standing. Sweat was dripping from all over his skin as he fumbled anxiously with his shirt. He exchanged nervously glanced between the piano and the door which the kids had left through before exhaling a heavy breath of air. He even appeared to be shaking.

"Darn it," he muttered to himself shakily. "They figured it out after all." He paused for a moment, glancing at the ground in slight guilt and defeat. "And here I thought my intelligence would be beyond them. I guess I shouldn't have given then a clue then…" Again, he paused, sniffling dryly. "I hope this doesn't turn into another blunder… if it does, I'm sure Eddy will be quite perplexed with me… he might not even want to be my friend anymore." Double D tugged down on his shirt, taking in a long breath before starting for the door himself.

"But we're so close… I can feel it."

* * *

**AN: Two chapters in one day, what is this madness?! It's another Short chapter, but there's still a lot going on. Are you confused yet? Angry? Suspicious? Don't worry, it'll all be explained in future chapters. Hopefully I am keeping these guys close enough to "in character" so that it isn't annoying to read. I apologize if it is. **

**One more thing, I hope the scenes with the memories and the piano made sense; it was unusually difficult to think of a way to explain those. In the memory, just imagine it like Eddy is watching himself from the distance as a ghostly figure that no one can see. Like always, sorry for any mistakes, I'll fix them when I get a chance. And thanks for reading! :)  
**


	7. Chapter 7 - Are Ya Hurtin' Anywhere?

Chapter 7 – Are Ya Hurtin' Anywhere?

"Five… Two… Nine... Four…" Eddy murmured to himself as he clicked the numbers into their respective positions on the safe. To everyone's relief, the safe made a loud clunk before creaking open. Eddy in particular was rather excited. "That's it, baby. Open up and gimme all your money!" he sung happily, rubbing his hands together greedily. However as he pulled the safe open he found nothing inside but a lonely key. Eddy took the key in his hand as his face twisted in annoyance. "Another key?" he griped. "Where does it go to?" Kevin asked. Eddy grumbled to himself in annoyance as he over looked the key. "It says Study," he answered sourly.

"Man, here I thought we'd get the key to the front door or somethin'," Kevin groaned. Eddy stuffed the key into Kevin's fist, and then into his pockets. "Yea, and I thought I'd be getting' a load of cash!" Eddy snapped. Kevin furrowed his brows in annoyance. "How can you even think about money in a time like this?!" he bickered. Suddenly, Sarah stepped in between them. "Shut up, both of ya," she roared. "Let's just find this Study room. The sooner we do, the sooner we can find the others and get the heck outta here."

Kevin nodded in agreement, and together the six kids moved down the hall. Kevin was studying the key intently as they walked. "So, any ideas where this Study is?" he asked. Double D took the key from his hand and observed it himself. "I believe there was a door at the end of the hallway Eddy and I discovered. However, it was locked so we didn't go inside," he responded. Eddy gave Double D a confused glance. He didn't remember checking a door in that hallway; in fact, he didn't remember a door at all. However, being the sourpuss he was at the moment, Eddy kept his mouth zipped.

"Right, so we'll check there first," Kevin stated as he let Double D take the lead. Together, all the kids followed him around the stairs and down the hallway until they came up to a dead end with a door. Eddy was somewhat astonished that the door was actually here. Once again, Double D had been correct as he unlocked the door easily with the key, stepping inside an eerily barren room. The only furniture that inhabited this room was a table over in the far corner, and a large bookshelf against the back wall.

"This is a Study?" Kevin questioned as everyone joined Double D in the room. "What an empty room…" Jimmy whimpered. Kevin walked up to the bookshelf, examining a few books and checking between the shelves for anything different that looked like it could be of any use. However, he found nothing. He clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth in disappointment. "What a downer…" he grunted, turning back to leave the room. "There ain't nothing in here. Let's double check the other—"

Just then, a loud rumbling sound interrupted Kevin, causing him to pause and turn back only to find the bookshelf magically, yet slowly moving to the side. With a quick glance to the side he realized what had done it. Jimmy rose from the ground next to the table, brushing the invisible dust from his shirt. "There was a switch under the table," he pointed out, gesturing as a small black rectangle on the floor. The bookshelf ceased all its noise and moving. On the wall behind it was another door. Kevin gazed at Jimmy in slight astonishment before giving him a thumbs-up. "Nice find, Fluffy," he complimented. "This place just gets weirder and weirder," Sarah commented uneasily. The six kids opened the door and stepped into another room. This room was even barer than the last, merely holding what looked to be a dungeon cell. The door creaked to a close behind the six kids as they stopped and stared at the iron bars stretching from wall to wall. "This place reminds Rolf of the old country," Rolf stated randomly. "Is this a jail cell?!" Jimmy gasped. "This place can't possibly get any creepier," Sarah commented.

"There's something inside," Kevin pointed out, gesturing at a small gleaming object on the ground just beyond the bars. Eddy narrowed his eyes and deepened his frown. "Is that what I think it is?!" he bellowed in irritation. Kevin stepped up the door and pushed on it. To his relief the door was unlocked. He pushed it open all the way, the old metal crying out in the most ear-splitting sound imaginable like nails on a chalkboard. When Kevin could just barely slip by, he stopped and quickly stepped into the cage to pick up the object. It was yet another key.

"_Another_ key?! This place must have enough keys to open Pandora's Box for cryin' out loud!" Eddy complained.

"Another key is another clue," Rolf remarked.

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Rolf. May I ask where this key leads us to, Kevin?" Double D inquired.

"It's for the basement," Kevin answered, stepping out of the cage once more to stand among the others. "Maybe that's where everyone is! We've looked this place up and down with no luck finding them!" Jimmy suggested. Kevin tightened his fist around the small key. "That's what I'm thinkin'," he agreed. Then, he headed back for the door to the room. "C'mon, let's hurry," he insisted, opening the door. However, before he took another step, he paused. Standing in the middle of the room was the monster awaiting their return. Fear settled in over the group of kids.

"Seems we have company," Kevin growled. "It's here to stop us! I knew this all seemed way too easy," Jimmy murmured in fear. The creature started inching its way toward the kids. "Man, I am really in no mood to fight this guy again," Kevin groaned.

"What are we gonna do?!" Sarah asked, glancing at Kevin. "Don't worry, I got a plan… Dorky, Rolf! You two come with me, the others wait here. We'll be right back," he instructed. Rolf nodded courageously, but Eddy looked far more skeptical. "Me, what?! Where are we going?!" he demanded. "You still have the key to the library right?!" Kevin barked in return. Eddy paused, reaching into his pocket and pulled out the key he'd held onto. "Yea, but what're you planning?!" Eddy pressed. "Just shut up and follow me, would ya?!" Kevin snapped irritably. Reluctantly, Eddy obeyed. The three of them ran up the door. Luckily, the monster fell for the bait and turned to run after them.

Together, the three boys ran as fast as they could down the hallway with the monster hot on their trail. "Okay, here the plan. We're gonna trap it inside the library since you got the key, Dorky," Kevin explained as they rounded the corner. Eddy glanced back at the monster. It was gaining on them fast. "This plan better work," Eddy exclaimed. The three of them swung open the door to the library and quickly bolted inside followed by the creature. They rounded the table, which seemed to slow the monster down, and darted back for the exit the three of them just barely made it back out before the creature could catch up, slamming the door closed once more and locking the knob tightly. Just in case, the three of them barricaded the door with their bodies as the creature slammed into from the other side a few times. After the noise died down, they finally relaxed with heavy sighs. "It worked," Eddy breathed in relief. Kevin unlocked the door, cautiously peering inside once more only to find no trace of life anywhere. "It seems to have disappeared again," he stated.

"This creature disappears quite a bit," Rolf pointed out. "I know," Kevin stated in return. "That's what makes me uneasy."

"Alright, can we just go back to the others now?!" Eddy griped. Kevin cast an annoyed glance at Eddy, but began on his journey back. "For once I agree with you," he stated vapidly.

Once the three of them returned to the room, they were met with the relieved stares of their friends. "Oh thank goodness," Double D exhaled.

"I'm sorry, Kevin. I wish I could have been of more help!" Jimmy apologized meekly. However, Kevin merely brushed him off. "Don't sweat it, Fluffy… if we all went that monster was sure to catch somebody," Kevin stated. "You aren't injured are you?" Double D asked. "Nah, we just trapped the thing in the library, but it disappeared on us again," Eddy answered.

"Anyways, while you guys were gone, we found another clock," Sarah intervened, holding up the clock for all to see. Kevin took the clock in his grasp. "Good work. I believe this'll be the last clock on this floor to break," he announced.

"Wait, hold on! Before you break that clock," Eddy shouted suddenly. Now, all eyes were on him. "I think we should discuss this memory issue."

"Yes, Rolf agrees. This memory confusion is not to be ignored," Rolf stated.

"Here's what I'm thinkin'… by breaking these clocks we get a whole bunch of fake memories," Eddy explained, snatching the clock from Kevin's hand.

"That sounds like a good point. Especially considering how many clocks Rolf and I busted before we met up again," Kevin nodded in agreement.

"So, all we have to do is remember what's real," Jimmy suggested.

"Exactly!" Eddy continued. "But the problem is remmeberin' what _is_ real."

"So far, we know this all started back when I made the bet at school," Kevin stated. "Yes, yes. Rolf remembers that much. But from there things start getting all mixed around like Nana's special stew," Rolf added.

"This confusion probably lies in the real memories mixing with the false ones. Maybe it's best if we just don't believe these memories at all," Double D suggested shakily. Eddy mentally noted how scared Double D looked, but said nothing of it out loud. He really couldn't blame him after going through this whole experience.

"So let's just assume everyone is here. The ones we have to save are Nazz, Johnny and Ed. Right now, it doesn't matter who came here with who, as long as we save the ones we lost," Eddy reasoned. The others merely nodded their head in agreement.

"I'm bout to smash this thing. Is everyone ready?" Eddy asked.

"Just break it already!" Sarah snarled in annoyance.

Eddy cast an irritate glance in her direction before slamming the clock into the ground. Just as he broke it, a new vision took over. In this new 'memory' he was standing inside of an empty room, but he recognized his surroundings. Eddy knew he was inside of the bedroom that he and Ed had used to hide from the monster after they had a run-in with it in the library. Yet, at the moment this room was as quiet as ever. As Eddy glanced around, he found nothing happening at all. What kind of memory was this? All of a sudden, something slammed up against the door. After the initial shock wore off, Eddy could hear his own frantic breaths of the other side mixed with Ed's, and if he listen hard enough he could barely make out the thunderous footsteps of the monster. It would seem he was watching the memory from that time after all.

"_Come on, Eddy! It's catching up!"_ wailed Ed from the other side of the door. It wasn't but a few seconds later that the door swung open, and Eddy ran inside quickly followed by Ed. They slammed the door behind them and ran to hide between the beds just like he remembered. However, Eddy couldn't shake this feeling that something was not right here.

_"What the heck's up with this mansion?!"_ the Eddy sitting with Ed snipped quietly. Ed pressed himself as close to the wall as he could and watched the door nervously. Present Eddy couldn't shake this nagging feeling from his gut. Something was definitely different, but what was it?! _"We've disturbed Sinful Steve, Eddy! We are doomed to spend the rest of our lives as stuffed trophies above the mantle of his fireplace!"_ Ed whimpered. Present Eddy looked around frantically, but found nothing out of place. What the hell was wrong? He knew something was very wrong! _"This isn't one of your stupid comic books, Ed! That thing wants to eat us! I don't even know what the heck it is, but it wants to kill!" _Past Eddy barked. Ed cast a worried glance down at Eddy. _"You don't think he–"_

All of a sudden, the door creaked open and the monster came inside. Eddy's heart immediately sank. It came inside? If he remembered correctly, they had…

"Oh." Present Eddy stated to himself. "We forgot to lock the door."

The monster darted up to the two boys with incredible speed, pulling back its clawed hands for an attack. However, just in the nick of time, Ed put himself between the monster and Eddy, taking a critical blow right through his stomach. He winced in pain, but still managed to bring up his spatula and strike the monster right in the forehead with great force, causing it to disappear. It all happened so fast that present-time Eddy had no time react. Instead, he merely felt his own body go cold and numb.

Ed groaned as he fell to the ground, the blood spilling from his wound covered the floor within seconds. Past-Eddy had gone pale as he watched Ed in complete terror. _"Ed!"_ he screeched. Eddy reached up and yanked the sheets off the bed beside him, starting to attempt to tear it into smaller strips to act as a bandage. _"Hold on, Lumpy… I'll make ya some bandages! Just don't die on me!"_ he wailed. Ed coughed roughly a few times, spurting more blood out onto the wooden floor. His eyes were already beginning to dull and his eye lids started to droop drowsily. _"It's… no use, Eddy. It… got me,"_ he wheezed.

"_Don't gimme that crap! I'll go find Double D, he'll know what to do! Just please hold on!" _Eddy pleaded. Ed's breaths were becoming slower and longer. Even though his eyes were slowly closing, he managed to glance up at Eddy. _"Double D… is he alright… Eddy?" _he asked weakly. Tears formed on the bottom of Eddy's eyelids as he tried to stop the bleeding with a large clump of crumpled sheets which quickly turned a sickly color of crimson red. _"Yea. He's just fine. He… and the others… are waiting outside for us so we can go home… remember?"_ Eddy whimpered pathetically. However, Ed had no response. He merely breathed slowly and unevenly. _"We were finally going home, remember?!" _Eddy added in a more desperate shout. Ed's eyes were completely closed now, but he managed to put on a small, weak smile. "Home… we were… going home…. So we could crash… at your house…" Ed wheezed breathlessly. He drew in one last inhale. "Together…" After that, he fell still and limp.

Present Eddy's mind whirled with thoughts. Wait, does this mean that Ed isn't missing? Did he really die?! Before a full-fledged panic could take over, Eddy quickly reminded himself that this memory had to be a fake. He distinctly remembered locking that door. He knew for a fact that Ed wasn't dead, he was just missing. Yet still, this memory sent a chilling shiver down his entire body. Even if it was a fake, watching his own friend die before his eyes was too much to handle.

Suddenly the scenery before him faded to away to something different. Eddy didn't recognize this room. It was somewhat small and bare with no furniture to speak of. Eddy watched from the corner of the room as himself and the other two Eds stood before him. Double D was standing rather close to the door, while Ed and Eddy were pathetically pacing around the room in fear.

"_Damn it!"_ Eddy shouted, gripping at his head in frustration. _"Even though the three of us got together, this situation still sucks!"_ The ghostly Eddy watching this scene immediately noted the terror that quacked in his own voice, it was a level of fear he had never even heard in himself before. The ghostly Eddy looked around the room furiously. Where were they? He definitely didn't recognize this room. Up until now, these fake memories have been in rooms he's explored already with situations he tends to remember. But this… This was something else entirely.

"_We're locked in this stupid room with that… that __**fucking thing **__after our asses!"_ Eddy screeched out again in a flurry of panic. Ed then approached him, patting his back comfortingly. Even Ed, who was usually so goofy and happy, was terrified and dulled by whatever was going on. _"It's okay, Eddy. Try to be positive,"_ he offered weakly. Though, Ed himself didn't seem very positive with his obviously fake smile. _"Our parents will notice that we are gone. They'll send help, and—"_

"_HELP?!"_ Eddy interrupted in a shrill, loud voice. _"They don't know where we are! Nobody knows this place even exists! Who on earth is going to help us, Ed?!" _

Eddy fell backwards after his sentence, curling himself in a tight ball of frustration on the ground. Ed fell backwards too, but he merely remained seated, watching his pal fall apart before his eyes. Ed himself looked to be on the brink of tears, but still he tried his hardest to keep it together. _"C'mon, Eddy… You gotta stop… I know we'll go home… and be together like the good ol' times!"_ Ed whimpered.

From behind, standing in the same spot he'd been in this whole time, Double D merely watched the two with guilt shining in his water-glazed eyes. He clutched tighter at his book, biting his lip in frustration. Finally, Eddy seemed to calm down a little bit. It would seem the hurt in Ed's voice had finally gotten to him.

"_Yea... you're right, Ed… But I just feel so trapped! I wish I could have been more help," _Eddy sniffled._ "I'm so sick of this!"_ He added, slamming his fist into the wooden floors. _"But… what else can we do, Eddy?"_ Ed asked in a sorrow-filled voice.

"_Eddy…" _

Suddenly, both boys turned to look at Double D. He hadn't said anything this whole time, and now that he's spoken up, the ghostly Eddy watching could tell that his voice was the most broken of them all. It wasn't the cheery, chipper voice of his young friend, barely able to complete a sentence without playing scrabble with it first. This voice wasn't the kind that was ready for its next Ed-venture. This voice was the voice of an old man on his death bed, riddled with age and weariness that Eddy had honestly never heard on Double D in his whole life. It was almost like he was a different person. He looked over his friends with tears streaming down his face. His slender, frail body quivered, but Eddy could tell it was not in fear.

"_What is it?"_ Eddy prodded meekly.

"_It'll be alright… I promise."_ Double D responded hoarsely. _"I'll make sure that you two make it home safely this time…"_ Both Ed and Eddy fell dreadfully quiet. Even the ghostly Eddy didn't know what to say in this situation.

"Wait, did he say 'this time?' What does he mean by that?" Eddy questioned to himself. He wanted to help so badly, but the only thing he could do was sit and watch from the sidelines.

"_Double D…"_ Ed cried.

"_And, if you get out… Don't ever look back. Keep running and never look back, no matter what happens!"_ Double D added, raising his voice just a little. Suddenly, the door creaked open and the monster stepped inside, standing right behind Double D. He clutched at the book, tears streaming down his face like a leaking dam. His eyes squeezed shut as he cringed forward in sorrow. Both Ed and Eddy became suddenly frightened at the sight of the monster as it slowly approached their friend. _"DOUBLE D!"_ Ed repeated, wailing out in fear and reaching for his friend, even though he knew the effort was useless. One Last time, Double D smiled and glanced up at his two pals from under the shadows of his black hat. But even with a smile, there was so much sorrow in his face.

"_Promise me you will,"_ he pleaded. Eddy looked downright terrified as he watched the monster pull back its claws. _"DOUBLE D, NO!"_ he cried out. His cries were unheard in the ear of the beast as it swung its claws right into Double D's abdomen, delivering a fatal blow.

The ghostly Eddy went frigid and still as he felt the coldness creep over his body. "Not Double D too…" he breathed weakly. He had to wonder if these were really fake memories. The events that happened seemed all too real, they way everyone reacted was almost too perfect to even be considered fake. Eddy wondered if this was actually foreshadowing an event to come. What if this was a message from someone? That thought alone sent a chilling jitter up his spine. If this was a warning, he had to find a way to prevent it. As the memory faded back to reality, a scene of gore and horrid sadness was replaced with the concerned glares of just about everyone in the room. Out of all the faces, Double D's seemed to be the worst. Eddy received a stab in his heart just by looking at it. Even now he could still see the terrible sadness in his face. He could almost see the tears that had streamed down his face, even though they were no longer there. All of his thoughts were covered in blood.

Eddy suddenly burst from his position, clutching onto to Double D frantically. "Double D! You need to-… We gotta-... Oh, where do I even start! We have to get out of this mansion right now!" he wailed out desperately. Double D looked suddenly terrified under Eddy's grasp. "E-Eddy?" he whimpered. "What's the matter with you?" Sarah gasped. "Eddy! Calm down! Those memories are fake remember?!" Jimmy reminded, starting to panic himself. Eddy finally released his grip on Double D and relaxed. That's right, they were fake. Eddy seemed to have forgotten that part. He did exactly what he'd told the other not to do. In a way, he felt embarrassed, but still he couldn't shake this uneasy feeling.

"Maybe you should rest for a little, you seem to be getting more memories than us, and harsh ones at that," Jimmy suggested. However, Eddy merely waved him off. "Nah, I'm fine," he lied. There was a moment of silence before he spoke up again. "Did any of you see a room we haven't been in before?"

Everyone exchanged unsure glanced with each other and shrugged. "Nope, mine have all been in places we've visited before," Kevin stated. Eddy pondered to himself for a moment, debating whether or not tell them about what he saw. However, Eddy knew that explaining such a thing would be rather difficult. Not to mention explaining it to Double D that he could possibly die could be even harder, so for now Eddy kept it inside.

He glanced over at Double D, who merely gazed back in concern for his friend. Yet, even seeing his face like that brought the same misery and horror back to Eddy's own mind. For as long as he lived, he wouldn't be able to shake the memory of Double D's limp body falling into a puddle of his own blood with that tall, gray monster looming over him like a tiger who had just killed its prey. Double D, his own friend he'd known since he was barely able to walk, and who had put all his faith and trust in him up till this very day. The thought of losing him, or even Ed for that matter, was too great of a burden to bear.

"Hey, Sock-head…" Eddy blurted randomly. At the softness in Eddy's voice, Double D jolted and stopped tugging at his shirt. "What is it, Eddy?" he responded.

"Are ya hurtin' anywhere?"

At his question, Double D went frigid. He almost looked like a trapped animal, eyes darting anxiously around the room as he hesitated in his own answer.

"No… I'm feeling just fine."

* * *

**AN: Dear Lord, I was so uninspired to write the first half of this chapter. Sorry if it really seems to be half assed and boring, but I really did try. I might go back and fix it up one day… Like always, I apologize for mistakes, I will fix any as soon as I spot them. And thank you for sticking with me for 7 whole chapters. By far the longest Fic I've ever written. (And there's still a whole lot more to go OTL!)**


	8. Chapter 8 - No Matter What I Do

**AN: Oh my goodness you guys, I just realized I've been spelling Jonny's name wrong this entire time OTL! I apologize! Just goes to show how much I pay attention. From here on out his name will be spelt correctly. Anyways, Enjoy Chapter 8!**

* * *

Chapter 8 – No Matter What I Do…

The first door down the hallway to the left of the front door, that hallway held the only locked door still remaining on this floor. The six kids knew that had to be the door to the basement. They moved silently through the halls in a tight group. There was not a word exchanged between them, especially after Eddy's frantic outburst a few moments ago. It wasn't until they reached the door that someone finally spoke up.

"Eddy…" Double D stated, glancing down at his friend. At the sound of his name, Eddy glanced up from the floor he'd been staring at this whole time. However, he didn't say a single word. "You've been awfully quiet ever since we broke that clock," Double D continued. "Yea? And what's yer point?" Eddy bit back. Double D's frown deepened in worry. "It's just not like you to be so silent. Are you alright?" he asked. Eddy sighed lightly, averting his gaze from Double D. "Yea, I'm perfectly fine," he lied in a bland tone. Once more he peeked back at Double D suspiciously. "What about you? You've been trembling for a while now."

Double D went frigid. He gripped at him arm nervously, giving Eddy a weak smile. "Really? I hadn't noticed. Perhaps it's just your imagination," he insisted. However, Eddy looked unconvinced. For a brief moment, silence took over them once more. Not even the other four had anything to say. They merely watched on with the same worried looks on their faces.

"Was it something you saw in the memories?" Double D inquired softly. Eddy jolted. "If it's something you saw, just don't believe it. Those memories are fictitious anyways, fraudulent images created by the monsters to throw you off," Double D explained, but still Eddy wasn't buying it. "As much as I wanna believe that… I don't think it's true," Eddy stated. For a brief moment, the look of fear crossed Double D's face. "What if these memories are actually a message from someone? Just like the piano on the—"

"NO!" Double D exploded suddenly. At the dark tone in his voice, everyone jumped in surprise. "Stop thinking about those horrid things! It's forgery… fabricated images that _aren't real_! So just forget about them already!" Double D shouted furiously. After that things fell silent once more. Not even Eddy had seen Double D react so viciously over something so simple. Did he have memories of people dying as well, Eddy had to wonder. Why else would he explode on him like this? Suddenly, Double D grabbed the key from Kevin, unlocked the door and stormed inside. Something definitely wasn't quite right here. Yet still, the others had no choice but to follow him silently.

Together they made their way down the stairs and through the narrow hallway of the basement. At the end, there was a fork in the hall. Without a moment's hesitation, Double D took the hallway to the right, leading the others toward what looked to be a good sized, empty room. As the drew closer, they could barely make out the iron bars stretching from wall to wall, similar to the last room they'd been in only larger. Then finally, as they entered the room through the open archway they found what they'd been hoping for. Behind the bars sat their three friends who'd went missing, all alive and well.

"Hey, it's the others!" Nazz stated excitedly. At the sound of her voice, Jonny and Ed looked up and put on a big smile. Jonny reached over to Ed, whose face drooped in sorrow and fear, and patted him on the back. "See, Ed? I toldja they'd come lookin' for us!" he reassured happily. Eddy ran up to the bars of the cage, relief flooding his entire body to have found Ed alive and well.

"Lumpy! We've been lookin' everywhere for you! What the heck're you doin' in there?!" Eddy shrieked. Ed crawled up to the bars separating him from his friend with tears of joy in his eyes. "Eddy! I was so scared, I was! I thought for sure Sinful Steve had gotten you and left us here to rot!" he wailed. "Ed! Oh, thank goodness. I was beginning to worry about you!" Double D sighed as he joined Eddy. "It was awful, Double D! I woke up inside this cage! I don't know how I even got in here, but the door won't open!" Ed continued to wail.

"Yea, that's how it is for all of us," Nazz added calmly. "We remember running into this terrifying monster, and the next thing we knew, we were trapped in here."

"Yep! It sure was hard keeping Ed calm though! Poor guy was so scared!" Jonny blurted. Ed grabbed at the bars with wide, watery eyes fixated on Eddy. "Get me outta here, Eddy!" he pleaded.

"Well, we would love to, but how do you open this thing?" Kevin inquired.

"Oh, please don't say we have to look for another key," Jimmy whimpered.

Nazz approached the door to the cell. "It's not hard, dude! I think it only opens from the outside," she pointed out. Eddy darted over to the door as well, gripped firmly at the cold metal bars. With a little effort, the door screeched to the side, allowing the three inside to step back outside. Ed immediately clung to Eddy like a lost child becoming found again. "Don't ever leave me again, Eddy!" he cried out. Eddy attempted to scrap Ed from his body. "Get offa me! Besides, you're the one who left us!" he growled. After he managed to free himself, Eddy walked back toward the hallway.

"Now, if we're quite done in here, there's still a whole basement to explore. I wanna get outta here before sundown!" Eddy griped.

"Hold your horses, impatient Ed-boy!" Rolf insisted.

"Yea, we still have a lot to explain to these guys," Kevin added.

"Alright, then I'll go by myself," Eddy retorted sourly.

All of a sudden, Ed became like a bouncing puppy, trotting up to join his shorter friend. "I want to come too!" he bellowed. Sarah walked up to her brother, grabbing him by the sleeve of his red and white shirt. "Oh no ya don't! You stay right here and listen to us, got it?!" she yowled. However, Eddy kept pulling Ed along with him as he took a few more steps away. "No, it'll be fine! He can come with me, I'll explain what's going on," said Eddy. Sarah gave Eddy a questionable glance. "If anyone's got a better chance at explaining things to this Lump, it's me!" he added boastfully.

Sarah gave in with a quick sigh of annoyance. "Fine, but you better tell him_ everything_!" she growled. Suddenly, Double D trotted up to stand beside Sarah. "I'm coming too!" he urged. Yet, Eddy merely waved him off. "I'll be fine, Sock-head. Don't worry we'll come right back," Eddy insisted.

"Well then, let me come with ya," Kevin insisted suddenly, taking a step forward. Eddy bared his teeth in irritation, growling lowly under his breath. "Didn't you hear me when I said I was fine?!" he snapped. "For your information, I did. But there's something I want to check out. Besides, with a wild, rabid alien-thing on the loose it would be best to travel in larger groups," Kevin bit back. Well, Eddy had to admit he had a valid point, but he refused to show it on his face.

"Whatever," he grumbled, tugging Ed along as he walked through the door. "But you better not slow me down."

Together, the three of them walked down the hallway, passing up the path that they had taken from the main entrance, and ended up in an office-like room on the other side. The majority of one side was lined with neat bookshelves. In the middle of the room was a fairly large table with leather chairs surrounding it. All the furniture in the room was black, which contrasted greatly with the white wooden floors and walls. The three stopped briefly in this room, taking a look around. Strangely, Kevin seemed to be a bit nervous.

"There's somethin' weird about this room," Kevin stated. "Get over it, there's nothing interesting in here," Eddy bit back. Kevin's brows twitched in annoyance. "I wanna look around," Kevin said stubbornly.

"Let's check out the rest of this place first_, and then_ we can look around!" Eddy suggested rather forcefully. After that, he made his way through the door against the right wall with Ed close behind. Irritably, Kevin followed him. The three boys found themselves in a dimly lit hallway paved from ceiling to floor with cobblestones. The overall feel of this particular hall made them feel as if they were actually in a dungeon. After stopping to gawk at the overall creepiness of this place, Eddy inched on. "C'mon, let's keep goin'," he murmured. They moved together down the long, winding hall. As they approached the end, a new, brighter kind of light illuminated the halls, and they soon found out why. At the very end of the hall was a rope ladder which led all the way up to the ceiling, at the end of that ladder was a hole to the outside. Eddy rubbed his eyes to be sure he wasn't seeing things.

"It's an exit," he mumbled. Both Kevin and Ed couldn't help but to let out enormous sighs of relief. Ed himself threw his arms in the air and trotted happily around Eddy. "Exit, Exit! Yay! We can go home, guys!" he sung. Kevin gestured with his hand back the way they came. "C'mon, let's go tell the others!" he urged. However, Eddy didn't move so soon. "You go ahead, Kev. I still gotta talk to Lummicks here," Eddy replied, throwing his arm around Ed's neck. Kevin paused for a moment. He half wondered why Eddy wanted to tell Ed what was going on now of all times, now that they can all go home. Not to mention the dark, serious tone that coated Eddy's voice. Even Ed became still and unsure at Eddy's tone. Kevin didn't know Eddy all that well, but he still knew enough to know that this wasn't normal. Yet, he merely shrugged it off. "Whatever, Dork," he grunted before turning to run back, leaving Ed and Eddy alone.

Kevin shoved all other thoughts from his mind and focused on what was happening now. They'd finally found a way out, an actual exit to the outside! After all this searching and fighting, they could go home! However, he could not shake this feeling that this was all too easy.

Kevin darted through the office room once more, but quickly skidded to a halt. That weird feeling he'd gotten earlier was back. There was something in this room, something strangely familiar that seemed to be luring him away from the task at hand. Kevin eyed a black box sitting on the bookshelf and curiously, yet slowly, made his way toward it. Hesitantly, he reached out and opened the top. To his surprise, inside the box was his wrench he was so certain he'd lost. The tool even had his name on it. He held the wrench in his hand, and immediately noticed how different it felt. It wasn't heavier or smoother, but there was just something off about it that made him wonder.

"I was wonderin' where you went," he murmured to himself, examining the tool carefully. He glanced back at the box it'd been inside in confusion. "But how did you get in here?"

It was then the door to the hallway creaked open as Ed and Eddy returned, Once they laid eyes on Kevin still standing in the room, they stopped. "What the heck're you still doing in here?!" Eddy demanded. Kevin put on a devious smirk, holding up his wrench in triumph. "I found my wrench in this box! Now if we ever run into that thing again I can last longer in battle!" Kevin boasted. Eddy walked over to stand beside Kevin with an amused grin plastered across his face. "What, a whole two seconds?" he mocked. Kevin growled between gritted teeth. "Hey, if two seconds is enough to save someone's life…!"

"Just forget it, Shovel-Chin! We're gettin' outta here anyways," Eddy shouted.

"Oh, lookie what I found!" Ed blurted suddenly. Both Kevin and Eddy turned back to see Ed taking down a clock from the bookshelf. "Are the false memories really true?" he asked, observing the simple clock carefully. "Of course not, moron!" Eddy snipped. "That's why they're false!"

"I want to see! Please?" Ed begged. This time, it was Kevin who stepped forward. "No way, man! I don't want to see Eddy freak out again!" he sneered. Eddy whipped his gaze toward Kevin. "Shut it, Tough guy! You'd be freakin' out too if you saw what I did!" Eddy retorted in an angry snarl. However, his expression seemed to tone down afterwards. "Though I gotta agree with ya. Why break another clock when we are so close to leaving anyways? Just leave it, Monobrow."

"Yes sir, Mr. Eddy, sir!" Ed bellowed. With clock still in hand, Ed gave Eddy a salute; however, his grip on the clock slipped as it was sent crashing to the ground, smashing into pieces upon the immaculate wooden flooring. Eddy should have known Ed would screw something up, but he didn't have enough time to react as a memory took over his vision.

In this memory, he found himself back in the stone hallway. Yet, the only ones before him were the three Eds. 'Strange… where are the others?' Eddy thought to himself as he watched his fake self and his two friends move about the hall. Ed was trotting around excitedly in a circle, chanting something about going home. However, Double D seemed to be on a much darker note, looking as distressed as ever. His eyes were wide, his stature somewhat cringed and trembling. _"Jeez! What's takin' em?! I'm going on ahead, the others can catch up,"_ Eddy groaned as he moved down the hallway. However, Double D didn't seem too quick to react. He merely looked back in worry, fumbling anxiously with his tattered orange shirt in that never ending habit.

"_I really hope they're alright,"_ Double D stated hopefully. Ed stopped his running and went to stand beside Double D_. "Aw, C'mon Double D. They said they'd come back, didn't they?"_ he assured calmly. Still, Double D fretted on.

Suddenly, Eddy scream echoed down the hallways, rattling their ears to the core. Quickly, the two ran toward him to see what was the matter.

The real Eddy had a bad feeling in his gut as he too followed his imaginary pals down the hall until he came upon a scene he'd been dreading. Crouching at the end of the hall, blocking their only exit, was the monster yet again. Not only was it blocking the exit, it had burnt the ropes that led to it. Real Eddy became frustrated. "So, it destroyed our means of escape anyways?" he sighed to himself. It would seem no matter what they did, the monster would always be there to destroy their hope.

Eddy watched himself as he backed away from the monster slowly. _"No…" _he whimpered. _"I won't let this happen again!"_ Eddy held out his pipe, ready for battle, but Double D was quick to yank him back. _"No, Eddy! You mustn't fight it! Just run!" _he pleaded. For once, Eddy listened to Double D as the three of them bolted back down the hall. Due to his fear, Ed had lagged behind the group a bit, but for the moment all seemed to be fine. The monster didn't even give chase right away. It was as if it were just trying to keep them from escaping. However, that moment of hope ended when Ed tripped, and skidded to a halt face first on the ground. The other two didn't notice and kept going through the door. Ed rose to his hands as the monster started to move slowly toward him. Ed struggled fiercely, but for some reason could not get up. He glanced around in fear frantically. _"Guys, help me!"_ he pleaded in a shout, but no one came back to his aid. Real Eddy felt his heart drop. He wanted to help him so badly, but he knew he couldn't and that fact alone stung more than anything.

The monster was practically on Ed's back now, fangs bared and ready for a feast of the helpless boy on the ground before him. Once more, Ed cried out for help, but his words remained unheard as the creature closed in on his neck in a killing blow. Real Eddy covered his eyes, his limbs beginning to shake. "No…Not again! Why do I gotta watch this horrible stuff over and over?!" he screeched to himself. "Is this really what's gonna happen?" Eddy took in a quivering breath. Like hell he was going to let his best friend die in a place like this. All he had to do was go back and rescue him.

"_No, Eddy! You mustn't fight it!" _Double D pleaded. Real Eddy removed his hands from his vision and immediately noticed that the memory had rewinded. All three Eds were back at the end of the hall. Eddy half wondered to himself if he was able to control the outcome of this memory. Just like before, the three took off running, and right on cue Ed fell to the ground. Only this time, Eddy noticed. The monster was closing in fast. _"Ed, No!" _he screeched as he leapt back to protect his friend. For a few seconds, Real Eddy felt a wave of relief rush over him. So, he would be able to save Ed after all. However, that moment of relief was short lived as the monster struck down Eddy himself in a flurry of blood instead. No, that option was no good either, but what could he do? Real Eddy felt the cold weakness from before return. "So no matter what I do, I still lose somebody?!" he cried out. Eddy feared death the most, but he also didn't want his only friends to die. He was truly at a loss here. Eddy had never felt so helpless. He sucked in a large breath of air. "No matter what happens, I gotta protect Ed," he sighed.

"Yo, Dorky," Kevin's voice snapped him from his trance as his vision of reality took hold once more. Both Kevin and Ed were staring at him in slight concern. "You alright over there?" Kevin added with a raised brow. At first, Eddy couldn't answer him. He could barely contain his own shivering for the event that he knew was coming. Maybe it wasn't a bad thing that Ed had broken the clock after all. "I-I'm fine," he stated.

"That wasn't as much fun as I thought it'd be…" said Ed sadly. Kevin shoved his wrench in his pocket with an unamused expression planted on his face. "Yea, they ain't exactly thrilling… but just keep in mind that those memories are fake," he replied. Then, it dawned on Eddy. He seems to keep forgetting that these memories are fake, but then again how can they be fake if they didn't even happen at all? Once again, he decided to keep his mouth shut and go along with the flow.

"Hey Eddy, go fetch the others. Dorkenstein 'nd I'll stay here and wait for ya," Kevin instructed. Without a single shout of rebellion, Eddy nodded and moved on. He had too much on his mind to even think about fighting with Kevin at a time like this. There was too much at stake, and not enough time to think of a way to avoid it all. If he told the others now, they'd just insist it was a false memory, and Double D might even explode on him again, but what else could he do? There was little to work with here. Eddy knew one thing was certain, though.

Whatever he did, he had to do it alone.

* * *

**AN: Ah~ Five in the morning and I finally finished this =A= Sorry it took so long, guys. My inspiration to write this keeps flickering on and off. Sorry for mistakes, I'll fix them when I get a chance if I ever find them. And Thanks for reading! **


	9. Chapter 9 - Two Seconds

**AN: Sweet Lord, I am just mistake prone. At the very end of the last chapter it was supposed to say "He had to do it alone," not "He couldn't." for those who read it before I changed it. Sorry! I wasn't paying attention.**

* * *

"_I no longer have a choice but to pretend_

_I am brave, for a soldier has to be brave."_

_-Uninstall Fandub_

* * *

Chapter 9 – Two Seconds

"This place is even creepier than the house, Sarah!" Jimmy whimpered as he leaned in closer to his friend in fear. Now, all nine children had gathered in this cobblestone hallway, six more than Eddy remembered in his vision. He glanced around nervously, but so far nothing seemed out of place. Ed was even running around happily like in the memory while Double D was looking around nervously. Perhaps things were off to a good start after all, but he knew he couldn't let his guard down so easily.

"Yowzers! This place sure reminds me of an Ancient Egyptian tomb, huh buddy?" Jonny squawked, glancing at Plank in his hands. "Yes, this place reminds Rolf of his cellars back in the old country," Rolf added with a slight nod. Suddenly, Eddy took a step forward, mustering all the courage he had in him as he gestured for the others to follow. "Yea, yea… C'mon! I wanna get home before my Mom grounds me for an eternity," Eddy griped as he led the small group on.

"Yea? And who died n' made you leader?" Kevin sneered angrily. "Ever since you guys decided to be slower than molasses, just follow me!" Eddy bit back. Ed and Double D made their way to walk up by Eddy, but still Eddy could help but notice how unnerved Double D still looked. He was the polar opposite of Ed, who was prancing around, chanting in his newfound giddiness. The fact that Double D was so shaken was the real reason that Eddy was on edge.

The group made their way through the dim, winding halls. With every second that ticked by, Eddy found his heart beating faster. The anticipation for what lie ahead was too great. What if the flashback was right? What if he was going to lose someone no matter how he handled the situation? Then again, what if the monster wasn't there at all and those memories proved to be false after all? The possibilities seemed endless, and his time to plan was running thin as he caught the faint glimpse of the outside light.

"Dude, I see the light!" Nazz cried out in joy. "It really is the way out! Eddy, you're my hero!" Jimmy praised. However, Eddy knew this was not the end, for just barely outlined in the sliver of daylight that still existed was the shadow of the monster sitting in wait. He knew this ordeal was far from over.

"Not yet…" Eddy sighed as he slowed to a stop just after the bend in the hallway. As the other kids lay eyes on the monster sitting before them, with the rope ladder burnt to ashes behind it, they couldn't find the words to say. Sure, there was an exit, but now there was no way to reach it. "No…" Sarah whimpered hopelessly. Eddy held onto his pipe, which he'd been storing in his back pocket, and took a step toward the monster.

"Like heck I'mma let it get away with this…" he growled. Then, he lunged for the beast with all his might. Either he was going to end this now, or he would die trying. In one swift motion, the monster stopped Eddy midflight, and thrust him back into the stone wall with great force. Luckily, the only thing Eddy felt was the intense ripple of pain worm its way up his spine at the hard impact. He let out a pained yowl as he fell to the ground. That was when Double D took a step forward. "No… I won't let this happen again!" he roared.

Eddy's heart skipped a beat. Again? What exactly did he mean by that? The monster moved its attention to Double D now. Eddy's blood ran cold at the thought of losing him for real. He didn't want anyone to die in a place like this. As Double D took another step toward the beast, Eddy shakily rose to his feet. "No… Don't fight it! Just run you moron!" he ordered roughly. Double D exchanged glances between Eddy and the monster. "O-Okay, Eddy," he stammered before bolting back down the hallway. The others were quick to follow, all except for Ed who waited for his pal to push himself off the ground. Eddy's body wasn't in too much pain to run, so he and Ed ran together; however, just like it was foretold, Ed tripped and fell to the ground with the monster coming up fast. Eddy knew, with the others already much farther down the hallway, he had no choice but to put his life on the line to save his friend. It was the only choice.

Eddy darted back and stood protectively over his friend as the monster leapt into the air to pounce. "I won't let you take my friend!" Eddy screeched with tears forming in his eyes. As dense as Ed usually was, he seemed to understand what was going on, and was struggling to free himself from the ground in a fit of panic. "Eddy, no!" Ed wailed. Just at the last second, Rolf leapt between Eddy and the creature with his axe held out like a shield. Luckily, this was enough to stop the creature from advancing any further. Eddy couldn't stop his shaking, nor could he move. He was so certain that he was going to die. Rolf glanced back at Eddy.

"Free the empty-headed Ed-boy! I will hold this monstrosity off!" Rolf instructed.

"Hey, back here you guys! They need our help!" Kevin's voice shouted from close range. Eddy snapped his head up just in time to see everyone flooding back into the halls. "Double D! Help me get Ed up, he's stuck on something!" Eddy called out, instinctively picking his closest friend out of the bunch. Without a moment's hesitation, Double D nodded and ran up to assist Eddy with Ed while the others ran back to aid Rolf in battle.

Even with two pulling on Ed's arms, the boy would not budge so easily. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they managed to yank Ed from the invisible trap, tumbling roughly down the hall from the force. One Rolf noticed that Ed was free, he signaled for the others to run. "Flee! The Ed-boy is safe!" he shouted as he ran back to join the three Eds scrambling to their feet. Together, all of the kids ran back the way they came. They had to find a safe place, and quickly.

As they burst through the door, Eddy immediately caught the glimpse of something strange. Along the wall, right beside the small open space next to the line of bookshelves, was a tear in the wallpaper, and behind it was something dark. Eddy quickly observed the space on the wall and almost felt stupid for not noticing it sooner. He bolted up to the wall and tore away at the paper quickly. "What the heck're you doin', Dorky?! We ain't got time for—"

"Trust me, Bazooka-Chin, there's something back here!" Eddy interrupted.

Sure enough, he was right. Behind the wallpaper was a hidden door, concealed in a very similar way to his own brother's room back home. Luckily, as Eddy went to open the door, it swung right open. There was no time for any more words to be exchanged as all nine kids ran inside. Double D was the last to enter, shutting the door gently behind him and stepping just a couple steps into the room, remaining near the door. The other eight kids spread out through this very bare room. With no furniture, there was plenty of room for everyone. For a brief second, Eddy thought that this room looked familiar, but quickly pushed it out of his mind as the initial panic of the situation sunk in.

Eddy paced anxiously round the room. "Damn it!" he roared. "Even though we found this place, this situation still sucks!" Eddy's throat tightened around his words in frustration. They'd finally found a way out, they were finally going to go home! And then that monster had to go and ruin it all again. "Dude, just chill out!" Nazz offered smoothly. But her words did little to calm Eddy down. "Chill out?!" he snapped. "We're stuck in this room while that…. That _**fucking thing**_ is after our asses!" Eddy screeched. A strong sense of déjà vu hit Eddy smack in the face suddenly, but in all this panic and confusion he couldn't remember where it was from.

"Try to be positive, Eddy," Ed stated with an obviously fake smile. "Our parents are sure to notice that we aren't home and send help—"

"HELP?!" Eddy snipped, but immediately stopped himself. He suddenly realized why all of this looked familiar. Sure, there was more people than he remembered and not everything was the same, but this was defiantly the memory where Double D—

"Eddy…"

Double D spoke out

rRight on cue. Eddy's eyes grew wide in fear. No, this can't be happening. "What…?" he whimpered back hesitantly, hoping that somehow this would be different. Please, oh please let it be different!

"It'll be alright, I promise," Double D said weakly. Now, silence fell over the room as all eyes were on Double D. "I'll make sure that all of you make it home safely this time."

"Double D?" Jonny question unsurely.

"And if you make it out… Run! Run as fast as you can and don't ever look back!" Double D instructed in a rising tone. He gripped tighter at his book and bit at his lower lip.

Suddenly, the door creaked open. Eddy went frigid as he realized they didn't even consider locking the door. The monster came inside, walking up calmly behind Double D. Just about everyone in the room gasped out in shock and began to panic. "Yo, Double Dweeb! Look out behind ya!" Kevin cried out, but Eddy knew it was all useless. Double D cringed forward, tears streaming down his face. "Promise me you will!" he shouted sorrowfully.

Eddy desperately wanted to help, but his own body would not move. He was truly terrified. He could merely watch as the creature pulled back its clawed hands for the attack, just like in his memory. It would seem he wouldn't be able to save everyone after all. He squeezed his eyes shut as darkness took over.

OoOoOo

"_Hey, Eddy," Ed stated just as Kevin moved out of their sight. Even in the dull light of this cobblestone hallway, Ed could see the worry plastered over his friend's face. After all, it wasn't a usual emotion for Eddy to display. "Is something the matter, Eddy?" Ed asked in all seriousness. Eddy averted his gaze back to the ground. "Yea," he responded vapidly. It was definitely unusual for Ed to see him like this, and in all honesty it made him uneasy. In an attempt to cheer Eddy up, Ed put on a smile and poked at the top of his head. "Aw, what's tha matter, Eddy? Do you have gas?" he asked. _

"_Ed…" Eddy stated in the same dark, saddened tone. Now, Ed knew something was really serious here, and grew still once more. "Have you been getting any… weird memories?" Eddy asked hesitantly. Ed pondered to himself for a moment. "You betcha! There was one where I came here with Sarah, which I know was wrong, and one where I was trying to find Double D in the mansion all by msyself, oh, and—"_

"_Has anyone died?" _

_Eddy's question threw Ed off focus. He gazed down at Eddy in shock. "No," he answered. Eddy let out a heavy sigh. "When we break the clocks, we supposedly get false memories… and in one of those memories I watched…" Eddy trailed off, voice growing hoarse. "I watched you die, Ed." _

_Ed now realized why Eddy was acting this way. "But I'm right here, Eddy. Ya don't need to be sad," he pointed out. "But that's not it!" Eddy snapped. "Back when I saw that, I was convinced it was fake, but then I saw something else… something I haven't seen before! And in that memory, Double D died too!" _

"_Something ya haven't seen?" Ed echoed. Eddy merely nodded. "It hurt so much to watch the both of you die, but for some reason I don't think Double D's death was a false memory at all! Ed, I'm scared that these memories are actually messages from someone! What if Double D dies here?!" Eddy shouted in a slowly rising tone. "I don't know what to do, Ed."_

"_Well, ya don't gotta be alone, Eddy," Ed stated. "I'll help you, and I know the others will too! We will make sure no one dies!"_

OoOoOo

_Eddy left the room as Kevin instructed to fetch the others, leaving himself and Ed alone in the room of silence. Ever since Eddy had told Ed what was bothering him, a strange feeling of loneliness has taken over Ed. It pained him to see Eddy so distraught over something like this._

"_Kevin?" Ed said randomly, breaking the silence. Kevin grunted in response, signaling he'd heard him. Ed toyed nervously with his shirt, unsure of how Kevin would react. After all, he's basically been their enemy since he can remember. _

"_Is two seconds really enough to save someone's life?" _

_Kevin raised his brow at Ed's question. "What?" he sneered unsurely. Ed went on to explain what Eddy had told him, and to his surprise, Kevin listened. He even seemed to be somewhat concerned when Ed told him about the memories that Eddy didn't remember. "That Dork… Why'd he hide something like that from us?" Kevin growled. _

"_He's scared, Kevin," Ed responded. "He needs us to back him up." Kevin remained silent for a few moments. _

"_Two seconds," he stated. "I might pass out, but that's definitely enough time."_

_Ed smiled from ear to ear. "Don't worry, Kevin! If you pass out, I'll carry you home!"_

OoOoOo

Rudy red blood dripped onto the wooden floor beneath Double D. His eyes went wide, his face pale at the sight of it. The other's merely gaped on in shock with mouths hung open in disbelief.

"Two seconds…"

Suddenly, from behind Double D, Kevin was tossed aside and slammed into the wall rather violently. As he fell limply back to the ground, his wrench fell from his grasp. The blood they'd seen was merely from the wound on his arm which had reopened. Double D turned toward him, eyes wide in a mixture of confusion and fear.

"He did it!" Ed bellowed.

Suddenly, the monster swiped at Double D again, only this time it was Nazz who intervened. She was holding Eddy's iron pipe up as a blockade to prevent it from reaching Double D.

"Kevin… and Nazz… What are you—"

Double D's sentence was cut short as Eddy yanked him toward the back of the room. "We're savin' your ass, Sock-head," he growled. The monster snapped the pipe in half, bringing its claws down just over Nazz's shoulder. She rolled on the ground, gripping at her wound in pain as blood seeped from between her fingers. "That's all I can do, dude," she moaned.

"That's all you need to do," Sarah stated, bringing out her golf club again. Eddy ran up and grabbed one half of the now broken pipe and tossed the other to Jimmy. "Don't worry, we're bringing this puppy down," Eddy added.

"For once, Rolf agrees with the obnoxious Ed-boy," Rolf agreed.

"Me too!" Ed called out, holding up his trusty spatula triumphantly.

Double D looked around at everyone in complete fear. "No! You mustn't fight it, it's too strong!" he pleaded. However, the others had already made up their mind. "Like hell I'm lettin' my best friend die like this," Eddy growled threateningly.

The creature ripped open its mouth, baring its white fangs back at Eddy before charging right for him. Double D could only collapse to his knees, shaking violently in fear as he tugged down at his hat nervously. Eddy displayed no fear as he charged back, stopping the beast head on with merely his pipe. He quickly found that the monster was stronger than before, easily shoving Eddy back as he strained to gain his footing. Suddenly, Rolf swooped in and knocked the creature aside with his axe, giving Eddy the time he needed to regain his footing. The monster shook its head from the initial impact, whipping its black gaze back at Rolf in fury. Soon after, it was Ed's turn to surprise it, running up from behind and easily tossing is across the room with his inhuman strength. As the beast made impact with the opposite wall, creating a fairly large hole, Ed leapt in to join the others.

"We're winnin'!" Eddy smirked, but a tad too soon as the creature burst from the floor and charged them at full speed once more. The three barely had time to react before the creature's whip-like tail made impact with their stomachs, sending them flying much like Ed had done to the creature. It crouched lower to the ground in preparation for a pounce when suddenly Plank hit it directly in the side of the face. The beast's attention was immediately drawn to Jonny. "That's it, buddy! Let 'im have it!" he cheered.

In a split second, the monster changed its target to Jonny, leaping quickly toward him. However, before he could reach Jonny, Sarah and Jimmy leapt in and swiped the monster aside with their makeshift weapons, only to be knocked to the floor as the creature's massive hand clipped them. Already Rolf had rejoined the fight, running in the keep the beast from going after his beloved friends again.

"Rolf has had enough of your torment, wretched beast!" he growled.

"His forehead!" Double D shouted randomly. "Strike his forehead! That is his weak point!"

Jonny darted over to grab Plank. He was their only hope right now. Everyone else was too hurt to move. He scrambled back, bringing Plank up and smacked the monster right between the eyes with all the force he had. Like the countless times before, the monster vanished into thin air, leaving all the kids exhausted and beat.

"That was too close," Nazz wheezed.

Eddy rolled over on the floor, gripping at his stomach in pain. "You can say that again… UGH!" he winced. Double D scrambled to Eddy's side, alarmed by the new patch of blood soaking his shirt. "Eddy! Are you alright?!" he gasped. Eddy slowly sat up, giving his friend a relieved smile. "Yea. I'm alright, it just reopened my wound from yesterday," he answered.

"That's good," Double D sighed shakily. He glanced over at Sarah and Jimmy. "How's Kevin?" he asked.

Sarah crawled over beside Kevin and placed her hand over his chest to examine him. "He's alive, but unconscious," she answered. Eddy laughed weakly to himself. "Nobody died…" he breathed happily.

"I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to hang around here for too much longer… What if that thing comes back?" Jimmy stated.

"But where can we go? There's no rooms in this house with enough bedding for all of us," Eddy retorted.

"Actually, there is," Nazz corrected.

Eddy glanced at her with a raised brow. "No there ain't! I've been all over this place," Eddy snapped. "It's hidden. I found it when I was exploring the second floor, here I'll show you," he offered. Eddy rose to his feet with Double D's help, leaning on his pal as they all joined Nazz near the door. Ed went over to Kevin and slung him over his shoulder. "Kevin's good to go!" he blurted with a thumbs-up. When everyone had joined her, Nazz began their journey to the second floor. After going up the stairs she went right into the first bedroom across the hall, the room which Ed had first discovered Eddy back when they first entered this house. Nazz went straight for the closet, but to the naked eyes there was nothing in here but three incredibly cramped walls.

"It's just a closet!" Eddy griped. However, Nazz said nothing as she entered the small space and pushed on the back wall, revealing another dark hallway leading to another door. Eddy was struck speechless. "When I found this place, I just thought it was another room, but now that I think about it, I think it's like some kinda sanctuary," Nazz explained as she walked down the dark hall.

"A sanctuary, what makes you think that?" Eddy retorted.

"When I found this place, I spent a good few minutes in here. When I came back out, the monster waited until I was out of the closet to attack me. I don't think it could come in," Nazz responded. After she finished speaking, Nazz opened the second door in the hallway. Right away, Eddy noticed the warmth this room radiated. It was a soothing feel, unlike the rest of the house, and the inside was no different. All nine kids stepped into the room and gawked. This room was nicely decorated, and overall just seemed to have a much lighter feel to it. It had a large wooden table in the middle with more than enough chairs to sit the nine kids, plus more. It even had a small, makeshift kitchen with real food. And lining the back wall in a neat row were nine good sized beds.

"This is incredible," Jimmy breathed.

Nazz giggled to herself and made her way toward a door against the right wall. "Isn't it? It even has its own bathroom," she stated.

The other kids began to move about the room while Eddy approached Nazz. "I gotta admit, this is a sweet find, Nazz," he complimented. "Thanks! I would have told you guys sooner, but that monster caught me," she stated. "This place feels much different from the rest of the house, almost like someone else built it. Maybe that's the reason that thing can't get in here," Eddy suggested. "Wouldn't surprise me," Nazz sighed with a smile.

"Hey, what the…! Do you ever bathe ya…"

Eddy and Nazz spun around and saw Kevin leap to the floor and scramble away from Ed. It would seem he finally came to. He was glaring at Ed in disgust and anger at first, but then softened his gaze and scratched the back of his head, sighing reluctantly. "Erm… Thanks," he stated quietly, rising to his feet. At the compliment, Ed put on a fairly large smile. "You betcha, Kevin!" he bellowed.

"No, no you have it all wrong, Kevin-boy!" Rolf objected suddenly. "It is you we should be giving our thanks to, for if not for you someone surely would have perished."

"It's no problem, dude. I'm just glad everyone's okay," he stated.

"Alright people, I've got first aid ready for those who need it!" Jimmy called out from the bed he was sitting on. All around him were bandages, cotton swabs and medical ointments. "Where did you get all that, Jimmy?" Sarah wondered aloud. "It was on the wall! Ready and waiting for us!" Jimmy responded, pointing at the now empty shelf where the kit once sat.

Eddy's jaw stretched in an enormous yawn. He never realized before how exhausted he was. "Those who don't need it, get some shut eye. Tomorrow we'll try to find a way out of here," he stated. He started to walk off toward one of the alluring beds when suddenly, he found himself caught between Ed's pits. "Oh! Oh!" Ed barked excitedly, leaping over to include Double D in his random outburst of excitement. "Let us sleep together like the good ol' times!" he urged, swinging his two pals around like ragdolls. Eddy shoved Ed away, pinching his nose with his other hand in disgust. "No way, Ed! Like I'd want to be cramped up in a bed with your smelly pits!" he groaned. Double D gently removed himself from Ed's grasp with a small smile. "I'm sorry, Ed, but I have to agree with Eddy. At least for tonight. Perhaps another time, yes?" he offered.

"Okay!" Ed chuckled.

"Will you guys shut up?" Kevin moaned as Jimmy wrapped a bandage around his arm.

"Aw, C'mon Kev. I think this is fun!" Nazz giggled. "It's like a big slumber party!"

"Woulda look at that, Plank? We did get to sleep in a haunted house after all!" Jonny squawked, reminiscing on an old wish that Plank had supposedly had at some point.

"A slumber party? Here I thought I'd never have a slumber party with Dorks," Kevin quipped. Eddy ignored his comment and crawled into his own bed.

"Well, it's not like we have a choice," Sarah snarled.

"Come now, everyone. I bet this will be fun in a very odd and peculiar way," Double D offered.

"The Double D Ed-boy speaks the truth!" Rolf agreed.

Even Eddy couldn't help but to smile at the warm-hearted atmosphere. Finally, things seemed to calm down. "Whatever, I'm getting' some sleep," he announced as he lay on his side. Eddy knew there were many questions among them, and a few he wanted to ask himself, but for now, he simply let the gentle cloud of sleep carry him away.

* * *

**AN: This'll probably be the last chapter I write before I go back to class, so updates may or may not be slower, (as if they already aren't.) It really depends on how much work I have. I hope you are enjoying the story thus far, and like always I apologize for mistakes. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10 - Trap

Chapter 10 – Trap

The rain pattered against the roof of the house. Even here on the second floor they could hear it audibly. Double D stood in the larger bedroom on the second floor with only Rolf, Sarah and Kevin. Things were unusually quiet as Eddy entered the room from the hall. His face was a light shade of red with tears clinging to his eyes. Everyone watched him hopefully as he merely stood in the doorway, avoiding all eye contact.

"Ed's asleep…" he stated hoarsely. For a brief moment, a wave of relief rushed over the small group. Eddy sniffled dryly a few times, wiping the tears from his cheek. "… Very deeply. He… He won't be joining us anymore," he added. Double D's heart wrenched in sorrow. He couldn't believe Ed had left them as well. Kevin growled angrily beside him, clutching firmer on the key in his hand. "This ain't fair, man! We finally found the key to the front door! Why did so many of us hafta go and die?!" he shouted in a quaking voice.

"Just forget it, it's useless now," Eddy stated. "Just hide it; I'm sure we'll find it again."

"But we were so close!" Kevin objected.

Double D sniffled as tears formed in his eyes. "I'm sorry, this was all my fault," he whimpered. He hugged his book tighter to his chest. "All because I—"

Suddenly, Double D jolted upward in a cold sweat. The room before him was dark now, but with the same sound of the rain as before. He was breathing quite hard, almost as if he'd just ran a marathon, and every inch of his body was shaking violently. He looked around the room and noticed that he was actually in the Sanctuary. All of his friends were here, sleeping in the beds all around him. Double D forced himself to calm down with a long, staggering exhale. "It was just a dream…" he stated quietly to himself.

Double D relaxed his tense muscles and bit his lower lip. "This is so frustrating…" he added weakly. "I'm starting to forget things that happened long ago…"

Double D gripped at his head and took in a deep sigh. He looked around at everyone else surrounding him. They all looked so peaceful in their rest, some even looked lifeless. "I wonder if everyone is still breathing?" he asked himself quietly. His mental question was quickly answered as Ed let out a ghastly snore. Double D smiled in relief. He lay back down in his bed, curling up in a small ball.

"I honestly didn't think I'd still be alive after all this time."

OoOoOo

"Alright you guys! Let's clear some things up," Kevin stated as he took a seat at the table. It was morning, and after a quick breakfast made by Jimmy, it was time to discuss things now that they were all together.

"Eddy, I just wanted to make sure one last time. This ain't one of your scams, is it?" Kevin asked sourly. Eddy merely gritted his teeth. "Would I go so far as to hurt myself just to scam you guys?!" he retorted in an equally bitter tone.

"If that's true, then we are in big trouble here," Nazz pointed out.

"We've got a crazy monster tryin' to kill us, false memories when we break the clocks, and time going all whacky on us in certain rooms. This place just doesn't make any sense, ya get me?" Kevin stated, counting out each factor on his fingers as he said them.

"Believe me, you aren't the only one confused," Sarah fussed.

Eddy looked on in confusion, surprised that they moved onto another topic so quickly and with minimal name calling. "Wait, aren't y'all mad at me?" he asked out of the blue. All eyes averted back to him. "Why would we be?" Jonny asked back. "Well, while this ain't one of my scams, I still led you guys here," Eddy grumbled, embarrassed. If there was one thing he hated, it was admitting to a crime. Nazz placed her hand on his shoulder with a comforting smile. "Don't sweat it, dude! We never blamed you," she admitted.

"I hate to agree, but she's right. Though I may have blamed you at first, I now see this ain't your doing," Kevin reluctantly agreed.

"It was our choice to come lookin' for ya!" Jonny added.

"Exactly!" Jimmy clarified. "We could have stayed home, but we were worried about you three! Just imagine what would have happened if we didn't come to help you!"

"The feeble one is right! The Ed-boys may have lay the logs, but we were the ones to follow them, ya?" Rolf inserted with a nod.

Kevin gazed briefly at Rolf with a raised brow. "Erm… Well put, Rolf," he grumbled. He moved his attention back to the subject at hand. "Anyways, if we're to escape this place soon, we gotta work together! We may not have been on the best terms before this whole ordeal, but it's the only way."

"May I interrupt?" Double D stated randomly. His voice sent a deadening silence over the group. He had barely spoken since yesterday, especially on the matter of why he attempted to risk his life for the others. However, no one said a word of it for the moment. "I-…I believe I left something in the basement, can you guys assist me so I can retrieve it? I don't want to risk running into that creature again," he asked shyly.

Eddy looked Double D up and down for any possible object missing, but found nothing. "What the heck did ya forget?" he demanded. "I think I dropped one of my keys…" Double D answered.

Kevin rose from his seat. "Very well. We'll all go just to be safe. I want to check somethin' out down there anyways," Kevin said.

"Oh yea? Like what?!" Sarah demanded.

"In that stone hall, I thought I saw something on the ground while we were running away," Kevin answered.

"You sure it wasn't just Ed?" Jonny teased. However, Kevin did not take his tease so lightly. "There was somethin' there, man! I know it!" he screeched.

"Well, what're we waiting for?! Let's go already!" Sarah roared.

Kevin nodded, leading the group out of the sanctuary and back down into the basement. Along the way, they surprisingly didn't run into any trouble. Even as they entered the stone hallway, there was no monster in sight. Outside the room, Rolf, Sarah and Jimmy kept guard while the other six went in to see what Kevin wanted. It turns out, all Kevin wanted to do was see what had tripped up Ed yesterday, but strangely enough there was nothing there, not even a misplaced stone.

"This is too freaky…" Kevin muttered. "Are you sure you tripped over something?"

"Uh-huh! I tripped and fell! But I couldn't get back up! I was so scared!" Ed whimpered, recalling the horrifying memory.

"But there's nothin' here… not even a pebble!" Kevin growled.

"Why would ya wanna move it anyways?! Not one'll be coming back down here any time soon with the exit outta our reach," Eddy grunted in annoyance. Kevin glared at him in irritation. "What if it'd been another clue?!" he bit back. Eddy didn't want to admit he had a good point. He merely folded his arms and huffed.

"Well, when D and I tried to pull him up, we had a difficult time. He was really stuck on something," Eddy stated, changing the subject. "No! It wasn't like that at all! It felt like someone was reaching up through the stones and grabbing my ankle! Trying to pull me down into the depths of hell to enslave me for enternity!" Ed cried, cringing forward in fear of his own delusional story. Eddy smacked him upside the head. "Woulda stop with this stupid comic stuff?" he griped.

"Whoa, man! This sounds like a horror movie Plank and I watched last week! The hand sprung up from the ground to keep Ed forever in this mansion as one of them!" Jonny howled in fear.

Nazz quivered in fear from beside him. "Dude, your stories are, like, freakin' me out! Stop it!" she wailed. Jonny's stories even got a frightful reaction out of Eddy. "Uh, why don't we just assume that was just Ed's over-active imagination and move on?" he urged.

"Agreed." Kevin stated. "Where to Double Dweeb?"

"The cell," Double D responded without second thought. "I'm definitely sure it's there."

Kevin nodded, and once again led the group out of the spooky hall and onto their next destination. Now in the cell room, everyone stopped and glanced around. Nothing seemed out of place right off the bat. Double D moved ahead of the group, looking around more carefully. He paused as he laid eyes on something inside the cell.

"Was that box always there?" he asked.

"What? A box?" Eddy questioned, moving to stand beside his friend. Sure enough, inside the jail cell was a small, simple wooden box that most certainly wasn't there before. The others quickly joined them in their observations. "I wonder what could be inside?" Double D thought out loud.

"It's probably money!" Eddy chimed excitedly, bolting inside the jail cell.

"No way, man! It's probably the key to the front door! Open it!" Kevin instructed, running in to join Eddy. Soon enough, just about everyone was inside the cell examining the strange box. All except for Double D.

"What the… Stupid thing won't open!" Eddy growled in frustration.

"Tch, you're just weak! Give it here!" Kevin snapped, taking the box from Eddy's grasp, but even he could not make it budge. "Who's weak now?!" Eddy quipped. "Shut up, Dork!" Kevin bit back. Now it was Rolf's turn to try. But still the stubborn box remained closed. Eddy almost couldn't believe it was this difficult to open. If so, there must be something really valuable inside.

"Man, this thing sure is sealed up tight—"

Suddenly, the cell door creaked loudly, interrupting Eddy's train of thought. He brought his attention to the door just as it slammed closed, leaving the eight of them trapped inside. On the outside, Double D merely stood with his hands on the door with a strangely angry face. Eddy's heart nearly skipped a beat. What on earth was he thinking?!

"What the hell!" Eddy shrieked.

"Hey what gives, man?!" Kevin added.

Double D didn't respond right away, he merely breathed heavily, taking his hands off the door. Seeing him like this made Ed unusually upset. "Double D…?" he whimpered.

"Hey, Eddy," Double D said in a dark tone. "Why don't you tell them?"

Eddy's blood went to ice at his words. Honestly, he had no idea what he was talking about, but he was enraged all the same. Eddy ran up to the door and tried to open it with no luck. "Double crosser!" he cursed furiously.

"Say it in front of everyone who really lured them here!" Double D demanded.

"What the heck's he talkin' about?!" Sarah barked. Rolf exchanged worried glances between Eddy and Double D. "Ed-boy…?"

"By the way, there's nothing inside that box. Sorry," Double D added in a slightly lighter tone.

Now they all saw it. This whole ploy was just a trap set by their own companion. But the real question was why?

"Why, Double D?" Jimmy inquired in fear. However, Kevin was more concerned with the focus of Double D's words. He turned to Eddy, eyes ablaze in anger. "What's the meaning of this, Eddy?! What're you hiding from us?" he demanded. However, Eddy did not respond. He couldn't. How could he when he himself had no clue was Double D was yapping about.

"Oh? You don't want to speak now of all times?" Double D snarled. "You usually love talking our ears off."

Eddy shook the door violently, face turning a bright shade of red in frustration. "Double D! You open this door!" he yowled.

"But if I open the door, you will be infuriated with me. Not that you already aren't…" Double D murmured. Eddy roared out loudly. Was this anger he felt? Or confusion of betrayal? Why was Double D acting this way? Why was all of this happening all of a sudden?! Ed crawled up to the bars, eyes wide as saucers with tears dripping down in disbelief. "Double D! Let me out! I won't be mad at you, honest and fore truly!" he cried. Double D almost looked guilty at Ed's words of plea, but quickly averted his attention back to Eddy.

"So you won't talk after all? Very well, it was I who originally wanted to come to this place. I was the one who found this address stuck to the bottom of my new desk at school! This is all happening because of my misguided curiosity!" Double D announced.

"So why'd ya lock us in here?!" Jonny gasped.

"You guys will be safer in there. Just stay put for a bit, alright?" Double D responded.

"Were ya not paying attention earlier?! We never blamed any of ya!" Kevin snapped.

Double D started back for the hallway. "I'm sorry…" he whimpered. Now, his voice was filled with sorrow.

"Double D! Please don't go!" Ed blubbered as he tried to reach through the cross-barred wall of the cell. "We'll help you! Like we always have!"

A glassy film coated Double D's eyes as he looked upon Ed. "I'm sorry, Ed… but I can't. That monster is after me, and only me. As long as you stay in there, you will be fine. I've had enough of this, but if I come back please give me a good lecture, alright?" he stated. Ed's hand drooped sadly through the bars, his lower lip quivering in sadness. However, Eddy was not so soft-hearted. He shook the cage door violently some more.

"You get yer ass back here and open this door, ya hear me?!" Eddy shouted. Yet, Double D only continued toward the hall. "I'm not done shouting at you! Don't you dare leave!" Eddy continued. Before Double D went through the archway to the hall, he turned back to look over his friends sorrowfully once more. "Thank you for your help, but I'm afraid this is goodbye."

With that he left, but that didn't stop Eddy from thrashing around irritably in an attempt to somehow bust the steel door with his meek figure. Anger bubbled in his veins, frustration clouded his mind, and the only thing he could think to do was shout.

"DOUBLE D!"

* * *

**AN: Out of Character Double D time everyone! Don't worry it only gets better! I know I said last time that the updates might be slower, but I couldn't help myself. This chapter was too anticipating to write. I risked a few hours of good rest, but what the hell XD Thanks for reading! **


	11. Chapter 11 - Unexpected Vistors

Chapter 11 – Unexpected Visitors

Double D stopped at the fork in the hall, glancing back yet again in the direction he'd just come from. He almost wanted to return to the others and apologize for his actions, but there was no turning back now. He tugged down at his shirt so hard that the fabric almost tore at his neck. His hands quivered more than an earthquake. There was a glassy film of tears over his eyes, which soon trailed down his cheeks. He bit anxiously at his lower lip in that never ending habit of his and turned away. What's done was done. He'll never be seeing them again anyways.

"They were truly infuriated with me…" he whimpered to himself. "Eddy was the most frightening." Double D couldn't easily forget his own best friend's enraged face. He couldn't forget the betrayal that reflected in his eyes and the hatred that coated his voice. All of it stabbed deeply at Double D's heart.

"If I happen to return to them, I hope we can still be friends."

Suddenly, a strong vibration from his pocket caused him to jump in surprise. In a fit of panic, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Someone was calling him. He gazed at the caller I.D. in wonder, but it did little to resolve this mystery. The number that was calling him was unknown to him. "Odd, who on earth could be calling me? Especially in here," he wondered aloud. His eyes flickered around the room unsurely as if he was going to find his culprit close by, but the phone merely kept ringing. Finally, he decided to answer it. "Um… Hello?" he murmured.

'_There you are! What the hell took you so long to answer?!' _

Double D went frigid at the voice on the other end. There was no mistaking it, despite the odds. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Never in his life did he imagine this particular voice would bring him so much joy, especially after running from it for so long.

"M-Marie?! Is that really you?!" Double D gasped.

'_Of course it's me! Who else would call their boyfriend~?'_ she schmoozed.

"I can't believe this. How did you acquire my number?" Double D breathed shakily. Tears formed in his eyes. Though he's always feared the Kanker sisters, her voice alone brought a soothing touch to his unbearable pain.

'_That doesn't matter now! Are you cryin'?!'_ she shouted.

"Hey Marie, can you do me a favor?" Double D asked.

'_Anything for you, pumpkin~!'_

"Can you tell the school the kids of the cul-de-sac won't be coming to class tomorrow? Or the rest of the week… possibly forever," Double D stated darkly. There was a long moment of silence on the other end. He almost wondered if she'd hung up on him.

'_No.'_

"No?! But—"

'_That's your problem! Get your cute little ass back here and tell them yourself!'_

"Marie! Please! This is serious!"

'_Don't-…you-… in-…'_

The voice on the other end began to sound choppy to the point that Double D could no longer understand words. He gripped desperately at the phone with both hands. "Marie?!"

Silence.

It would appear the call was cut off. Double D merely stared at the now blank screen of his phone in awe. Someone from the outside actually called him. He actually heard their voice! Even if it was Marie, it was still strangely comforting. As he tucked his phone away again, another wave of sorrow crashed over him.

"It's really been so long… I wish I could go home."

OoOoOo

"Tch… stupid thing cut me off…" Marie hissed to herself as she stood in front of the door to the mansion. She gazed upwards at the tall house, the look of worry crossed her face for a brief moment. Once more, she tried to open the door, but the stubborn thing still wouldn't budge. "There's gotta be another way inside… And what the hell is taking those two dunces so long to get here?!" she complained irritably as she kicked on the door rather hard. Still nothing. "My poor baby has been stuck in here for quite a while…" she murmured. Once more she overlooked the large home and clenched her fist, determined to get inside.

"Don't worry… I'm on my way."

OoOoOo

Double D stood in the office room, scratching his head in thought. He'd searched all over the basement with no luck finding what he was looking for. This room and the hall were the only ones left on this floor. "Where on earth did I place that darn thing?" he asked to himself. He gave the office a good looking over, tearing up the shelves and looking under all the furniture before deciding that this mystery object wasn't in here either. Stumped, he wandered into the stone halls, carefully searching the place up and down for any sign of it. However, once he reached the end where the unreachable exit was, he still didn't find it. He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Odd, I'm sure I left it on this floor. Or was it the second floor?" He thought for a moment more before deciding that all this thinking was giving him a slight headache. "Argh! I don't remember!"

Double D turned to walk back down the hall, when all of a sudden a large shadow cast over him. He froze. It was here! He knew it was only a matter of time before that monstrosity found him! This was the end!

"There you are, cutie pie! I've been lookin' all over for you!"

Double D nearly jumped out of his shoes at the familiar voice he'd heard merely minutes ago. He spun around only to find Marie in flesh and blood standing at the hole in the ceiling looking back down at him. He was simply in shock. "M-Marie?! How did you find me?! You shouldn't have come here! Please go home right away!" Double D begged. Just then, Lee and May stepped into his sights as well. All three Kanker sisters were here.

"There he is!" Lee burst out, locking her sights on Double D below. "Why the heck's he all by himself?! Where's Eddy?"

"Forget Eddy, what about big Ed?" May argued.

Double D pulled on his hat fretfully. "You three mustn't be here! You have to go back immediately! It's too dangerous here!" he ranted.

"Hey Double D! Didja break all the clocks?" Marie asked.

Double D went frigid. "How… did you know about that?" he asked hesitantly.

"I'm not exactly sure, but for some reason I've been getting' these strange dreams lately… dreams of people dyin' and different things happening in this house. All of them included you. I was certain they were a message for help from ya, but these two didn't believe me," Marie explained.

"How did my memories get to you? Just how much do you know?!" Double D gasped.

"I know enough! Now get me down from here!" she ordered. However, Double D wasn't going to let her in so easily. Waving his arms frantically, he ran up to stand below the hole. "No! Please! Stay up there! I'm fine, honest! Just don't come inside this place! I beg of you!" Double D pleaded more desperately. Marie merely scowled at him.

"Ya know, even if you are frightened of us, we're still you friends," Marie stated. Double D sort of understood now. There was a lot of truth in Marie's words. Sure, he may have run from them countless times in the past, but in his mind they are still friends in a very odd and peculiar way. That is why some of the memories in his mind, which had become too over-bearing, went out to her as a message for help. Yet still, he couldn't involve any more innocent lives in this than he already had.

"I understand, just please… don't come inside!" he begged one more time. "Now if you'll excuse me, I still have to find something!" With that, he ran back down the hallway, hoping with all he had that they would listen to him. However, deep down he knew the Kankers well, and he knew they wouldn't obey him. He just had to find this thing before that monster could nab anyone else.

"Hey, he's getting' away!" Lee screeched. Marie clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. "Typical…" she grunted. "I'm goin' in!" Lee stated as she leapt into the hole and landed on the ground with a loud thud. "You two comin'?" she asked, glancing back up at her sisters.

"Yea right! I might break somethin'!" Marie yowled. "Just find a ladder or whatever, but I ain't jumping!"

Lee growled under her breath. "Fine! Ya little cry baby," she snapped, walking down the hall.

OoOoOo

Again, Rolf swung his axe into the metal bars with the same outcome as before, nothing. There wasn't even a scratch. He tried once more, pulling back both his arms in wind-up for a powerful swing, but even as he struck it again the only thing he got was a loud sound. "It's no use, Rolf! These bars are made of metal," Sarah stated. Rolf lowered his axe, but kept the same determined frown on his face. "Rolf wished to beat some sense into that sock-headed Ed-boy! Rolf will not rest until he is freed!" he cursed, shaking his fist.

"The only way to get out is to open it from the outside, Jimmy pointed out.

"And if y'all haven't noticed everyone is in here! We fell right into his stupid trap, man!" Kevin griped.

"Well, who would have expected something like that from Double D, dude? I certainly wasn't," Nazz sighed.

The only thing the kids could do was sit and wait for a miracle, but things just seemed hopeless. Eddy and Ed merely say near the bars, frozen in disbelief at what had just happened. They seemed to be the most shocked about all this.

However, the atmosphere changed dramatically as a familiar, yet frightening figure walked into the room. It was Lee. Just about everyone in the cell jumped in surprise, especially Ed who began to scatter around in fear. "KANKER!" he shouted.

"What the—" Kevin gasped.

"How?" Jimmy added.

Lee stood before the cage, observing all the kids inside.

"What is this?! The Peach Creek Zoo?" she teased. Then, she moved her attention toward Eddy who was still standing near the door. She approached him, leaning in close to the bars, causing his to back off just a little in fear. "Don't touch or feed the animals, heheheh," she added lustfully.

"L-Lee?! How the heck'd ya get in here?!" Eddy gasped.

Suddenly, all the kids inside the cage started running around in fear. "Run for your lives!" Jimmy screeched. "Every man for himself!" Ed added fearfully. Lee straightened her posture and threw her hands on her hips in annoyance. "Everyone pipe down! We're here to help ya," she growled.

Eddy grabbed at the bars to the door, shaking them again in an attempt to escape. "Kanker! Open this door!" he ordered bitterly.

"Tell me exactly what's goin' on first," she snipped.

"Like heck if we know!" Eddy retorted.

"We'll tell you what we know, but first we need to get out of here! Please, Lee! Understand where we're coming from!" Nazz pleaded.

"If you help me get my sisters down, I'll open the door," Lee compromised.

Before anything else could be decided, Eddy spoke out.

"Deal!"

OoOoOo

"This is becoming ridiculous, I can't seem to find it anywhere," Double D pondered to himself. He'd been searching for this item all over the place, but he can't seem to remember where he put it. Now, he stood in one of the lesser visited bedrooms on the second floor. "I'm certain that I left it on one of the lower levels, but it's not anywhere," he added, scratching the back of his head. "I have to find it soon before someone else gets harmed. If I don't, I'm doomed to spend the rest of my life all alone. The others still don't trust me, but that's alright. I will get them out of this."

Just then, the door creaked open and the creature stepped inside. Only this time, the creature seemed to have evolved. Its forearms were much bulkier like a top-class weight lifter. It's bodily structure resembled that of a gorilla, walking mainly with its hands. It's hind legs had shrunk to the size of a normal human being's legs. But the biggest change was its size. The monster has to be at least three times Double D's height alone.

Right away it approached Double D, backing him into the corner. He'd never been more frightened as he clutched at his book, preparing for battle. Out of instinct from the past, he called out for his friends, but quickly reminded himself that they couldn't come to his aid. As his back hit the wall, the creature swiped at his side, creating a fairly large wound which began to bleed profusely. He cringed forward, gripping at the new wound as he fell to his knees, and then to his side.

Unlike the past couple times, there was no one to come to his aid.

* * *

**AN: Let's see if I am able to control all of these characters in a believable way! Yup, it's Kanker time people. Sorry for mistakes, bla bla bla…the usual lol. You know the drill by now :p**


	12. Chapter 12 - Who Are you?

Chapter 12 – Who are you?

"It's about time you came back. I was startin' to fall asleep up here!" Marie whined as Lee and the others came into her view. At the sight of the eight other kids, Marie looked a little shocked. "I told ya to bring a ladder, not these losers," she scoffed.

"It's true!" Jimmy wailed. "It's really true! You came to help us!" Marie grimaced at the meek little boy below. "You? Please, Dutch… I came to help my sweetie-pie!" she growled.

"I can't believe you understand what's going on!" Nazz said in awe. "I don't fully understand it either, but it seems like Marie is getting Double D's memories somehow," May stated. "Do you, like, know more than we do?" Nazz asked. However, Marie ignored her question. "Lee! Did ya get a ladder or not?!" she shouted. "No! There ain't no stupid ladder in here, so just shut up and jump!" Lee instructed. "That's it! I've had enough of waiting, I'm comin' down," May hissed. She crawled cautiously into the hole, stepping her feet in first. She was using what was left of the burnt, worn-out rope ladder for support, but on the second step, the rope snapped, sending her crashing to the ground.

"I gotcha!" Ed bellowed, running in front of the group just in time to catch the falling Kanker. "Oh, Big Ed you saved me!" May swooned. However, once Ed actually realized who he was now holding in his arms, he proceeded to drop her and run back to Eddy in fear screaming, "KANKER! Icky, sticky, mushy love!"

"Alright, Marie. Your turn!" Lee called out. Marie scowled back with arms crossed at her chest. "Yea, yea! I heard ya the first time!" she groaned. After that, Marie leapt into the hole as if she were jumping off a diving board, landing directly on her red-haired sister. She stepped off, virtually unharmed with a large smirk across her face.

"There, happy?" she teased. Suddenly, Lee leapt up and shoved Marie into the wall violently. "That hurt!" Lee yowled. Marie peeled herself from the wall, taking a lose stone into her hand, tossing it at Lee, but missing horribly and struck May instead. She rubbed the back of her head and glared angrily at Marie. "What was that for?!" she growled. "Existing," Marie quipped.

"Hey, hey, hey! Quit yer bickering! There's another task at hand!" Eddy shouted. The three sisters mellowed out a bit. "Ed and I are going to look for sock-head, the rest of ya can meet us back at the sanctuary," Eddy explained. Marie stepped forward. "If you're gonna look for him, I'm coming too!" she announced. "And if Big Ed is going, then I'll tag along as well!" May added. Eddy rolled his eyes in annoyance; he knew there was no negotiating with Kankers. "Fine, but don't get in my way!" he grimaced.

As they began to walk down the hall, Marie slowed down, gripping at her head with a woozy expression. Eddy picked up on this right away and stopped. "You alright?" he asked with the slightest bit of concern in his voice. "I'm fine. I just feel funny all of a sudden. Let's hurry," she stated, walking ahead of the other three. Eddy merely shrugged his shoulders and pressed on. Together, they searched the entirety of the basement and the first floor with no luck. However, as they reached the second floor, they could hear the sounds of a scrap unfolding down the hall. That had to be him. They moved quickly to a room that neither Eddy nor Ed had visited much, but as they opened the door to this bedroom they saw a horrifying sight.

In the middle of the room was Double D and the monster, only this wasn't the monster they remembered. It was much bulkier, much bigger, and certainly much more terrifying. Eddy heard Marie and May gasp in surprise beside him. "What the hell is that thing?!" Marie screeched. Ed backed up nervously behind Eddy. "I don't even know what it is, but I can tell ya it didn't always look like that," Eddy replied in a fear-struck tone. Double D himself wasn't looking too good at all. The surface of his skin, from what Eddy could see at least, was coated in bruises and blood, and his clothes were no different. The one wound that horrified Eddy the most was the gash in his side, which created a river of bloodstains all the way down to his shoes and covered the room where ever he'd been. Eddy was no doctor, but he knew for a fact that Double D had lost way too much blood.

Suddenly, the creature pulled back its arm, but not soon after was Double D's counter attack. He struck it directly in the forehead with his book with what little strength he had left. Luckily, that was all he needed as the monster disappeared. Double D turned as if he were going to leave the room, but paused when he spotted the others standing in shock near the door. "You... got out?" he wheezed hoarsely. However, before he could say anymore, he fell to the ground. In a sudden panic, Eddy darted up to his side. "Double D! What the hell were you thinking?!" he shrieked. Soon after, the two Kankers joined him while Ed ran off to find some bandages. "Keep your voice down, idiot!" Marie hissed.

Double D slowly moved his attention to Marie and May. "You guys… Even though… I don't you not to come in?" he coughed. Marie looked his body up and down in complete horror. "You're covered in wounds. Why didn't you run? You always ran away from us, so why not now?!" she gasped. "Running… wouldn't have saved anyone… I've spent… too much time running away. I had to do something!" Double D responded hoarsely, coughing a few times in between. "You shouldn't talk so much. Don't worry, we'll get you to safety," May shushed gently.

Then, Ed returned with the sheets from the bed with tears in his eyes. He started to rip the fabric apart, but it was obvious he had no clue what he was doing. "Don't worry, Double D. I'll patch you up good as new! Just you wait!" he blubbered. Double D gave Ed a sweet smile. "That sounds nice, Ed," he wheezed. While Ed tried his best to patch up his biggest wound, Marie became frustrated. "Why do you always have to do things by yourself?! Look around you! You've got plenty of friends who are willing to help you!" she exclaimed. However, Double D didn't seem to be with them anymore. Panicked, Ed put his ear to his chest, only to let out a quick sigh of relief. "He's still breathing…" he quivered. The entire room exhaled, it seemed. "Damn it… I'm so going to kill him when he wakes up…" Marie grumbled.

Eddy couldn't stop shaking. He's never been so scared in his entire life. Sure, he's seen memories of Double D dying, but to experience it in real life, where there is not take backs, was truly horrifying. He glanced at where the monster had disappeared. He knew defeating it in its smaller form was hard enough, but fighting something like that was unimaginable. "Did he defeat that monstrosity all by himself?" Eddy wondered aloud.

"That doesn't matter right now, idiot! Just get him to safety!" Marie screeched. Eddy scrambled to his feet. "May… Ed… Go warn the others that we're on our way. Eddy, you take Double D back as carefully as you can, you hear me?! I'll do my best to keep his wound from bleeding too much," she ordered. Ed and May nodded before running out of the room. While Eddy gently scooped up Double D in his arms.

All the while, in the darkness of Double D's mind he still had the smallest sliver of consciousness left, not enough to comprehend what was happening, but enough to hear a soft voice in the back of his mind lulling him off to sleep.

"_To myself… To myself who lives and who isn't alone…"_

OoOoOo

Things finally seemed to calm down in the sanctuary. They were all shocked at first to hear what had happened, but they went right to work on Double D's wounds, despite what he had done earlier in the day. Now, with Jimmy's expertise in treating wounds, Double D was in stable condition. Everyone could breathe now, even if the tension still existed.

"I can't believe how many wounds he had," Nazz sighed.

"If he fought it alone it's no wonder," Kevin stated.

"I wonder why he did it. All of us would have ran," Sarah added.

"Maybe he's seen it before, Seeing how he wanted to risk his life for us, it wouldn't surprise me if he locked us in that cell so we wouldn't have to fight it," Jimmy suggested.

"But he was with us the entire time. Where would he have seen that?" Kevin inquired.

A chilling silence fell over the group. It was baffling alright. "It's almost like he's a different person. There's no way just these few days in here have done that to him," Kevin said.

"Dude, what if he's done this before?" Nazz wondered. This statement brought a whole theory to this situation which was immediately shot down by Jonny. "But that's impossible!" he stated. The others felt like they had no choice but to agree. After all, that idea was much more farfetched than any of the other phenomenon's that have been occurring. But they won't know until Double D explained it for himself.

"We'll just hafta wait for him to get up," Kevin pointed out.

"You can't just bombard him with questions like that! You'll overwhelm him!" May objected.

"If we don't ask, we'll never know anything!" Kevin countered.

"If you had paid attention to the Ed-boy, you would have noticed that he already looked like a sheep cornered by a wolf. He may not talk so easily. I suggest we wait a bit before interrogating him," Rolf intercepted.

"A bit?!" Sarah growled. "If you didn't notice Rolf, we don't exactly have a bit to wait for!"

"Hey, Marie," Kevin interrupted the current conversation, turning toward the blue-haired Kanker. "Earlier you said you understood the situation. Does that mean you know stuff we don't?" Kevin inquired. Marie hesitated in her answer. "I don't know everything, but I know enough to understand his actions," she answered. Kevin stared patiently, waiting for a true answer. However, Marie didn't want to expose what Double D had been trying so hard to keep a secret all this time. Yet, at the same time she felt the others should know. She glanced at Eddy.

"Hey, Eddy! You're his closest friend. What do you want to do?" Marie asked. Eddy hadn't spoken this whole time. He'd been silently sitting at Double D's side, still shaken and spaced out after what had just happened. "I-I don't know," he responded. The silence fell over the others. "I just want him to wake up first… If he wants to talk, I'll listen, but if not, I'll let it be. I think we should just try to trust him."

The others immediately noticed how different Eddy had become as well. He was no longer the greedy, loud-mouthed, selfish kid he was before. This whole situation seems to have turned his world upside down. "I just want him to wake up," Eddy whimpered sorrowfully into his hands.

As if on cue, Double D let out a stifled moan as his muscles began to twitch in his waking. Eddy's heart nearly leapt out of his throat in relief. Finally, Double D opened his eyes again. He sat up and glanced around, but there was something off about his face, something that seemed to be distant and confused.

"The Ed-boy awakens!" Rolf cheered.

Nazz leapt over to his side, taking his hand in her own and gazing into his face with relief. "Oh thank goodness, dude! You really scared me! How're you feeling?" she asked sweetly. Double D quickly pulled him hand away, leaning back ever so slightly. "Um, I'm… fine. Thank you?" he stammered unsurely. Suddenly, Ed bounced over and wrapped Double D in a bear hug as tears flowed from his eyes. "Double D! I was so scared that you would never ever wake up! Please don't do that again!" he wailed. However, Double D quickly freed himself from Ed and scooted away from him in fear. Something was definitely wrong, and now the others picked up on it. Ed even seemed a bit hurt at Double D's actions, but he knew this wasn't how he would have reacted.

"What the matter, love muffin?" Marie asked.

"Excuse me?!" Double D gagged.

"What's going on…?" Sarah wondered aloud.

"Double D?" May added meekly.

Once more, Double D looked around at all the faces now surrounding him, but his expression of fear merely worsened. He muttered something incoherently and sunk into his bed. "Huh? What was that? Speak up we can't hear ya," Eddy urged.

"Who… Who are you?" Double D repeated more firmly.

Everyone in the room went stiff in disbelief as a chilling silence fell over them. Eddy in particular was the most shocked out of the bunch.

"Double… D?"

* * *

**AN: Well I went and did it again. Looks like I'll be tired tomorrow, but at least I finished another chapter. What has gotten into Double D, I wonder~? –shot- lol You have 6 more chapters to find out 8D Unless you already know, then good on ya. Sorry they are so short, I really thought they'd be a lot longer when I planned this. I tried! -sob- **


	13. Chapter 13 - One by One

"_I've lost Who I am,_

_And I can't understand_

_Why my heart is so broken,_

_Rejecting your love without love gone wrong._

_Lifeless words carry on._

_But I know, all I know_

_Is that the end's beginning._

_Who I am from the start,_

Take me home to my heart.

_Let me go, and I will run,_

_I will not be silent._

_All this time, Spent in vain,_

_Wasted years, Wasted Gain._

_All is lost, hope remains,_

_And this war's not over."_

_-"Shattered," Trading Yesterday_

* * *

Chapter 13 – One by One

"_The only thing I remember vividly, to the point where I can't breathe, is the first time we all visited this mansion. I was useless. I had to be protected while everyone else was out getting injured. One by one, they lost their lives right before my eyes, and before I knew it, I was alone. First, it was Sarah, Jimmy, and Jonny. I found them in the largest bedroom on the second story. Jonny had already died prior to my entrance; Sarah and Jimmy weren't far behind. I was scared, as one might imagine. So, I ran. I had to find somebody and escape from this house as soon as possible. However, the next three I found were on a similar road. Nazz and Rolf had died, their beds soaked red in their blood. Kevin was not far. I urged him to come with me. I told him I would make him all better! But he insisted on staying with the two people who were very important in his life. After them, I found Ed struck down in the piano room. His death was what hit me the hardest. So, I ran some more. I didn't know what else to do. There was one person left, and that was Eddy. Sadly, he too had been found by the monster of this house. He was on his last breath with the key to the front door in hand. I was speechless. He told me to run. Run, and never look back no matter what happens. But I was sick of running._

_If only I'd never found this place… If only I'd never told Eddy I wanted to see it. Nothing… None of this would be happening. Even when I followed different paths, no matter what I did, they still left me. I guess I'll have to try harder next time. But how many times will I be able to start again? How many times will I be forced to tell them the same lies? How much longer must I watch my friends die? We all made so many promises, but when we met again they'd forgotten all about them."_

OoOoOo

Marie stepped out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind her with a solemn face. Ever since Double D woke up, things have been quiet, and most certainly not in a good way either. They just couldn't believe he'd lost his memories. There were so many questions with no real answers, and this alone created an unsettling atmosphere. In the room, the kids were all scattered around, sitting patiently in wait for Marie's verdict.

"How's he doing?" Sarah was the first to ask.

"He told me he wanted to take a bath. Something about feeling unclean, so I just let him be," Marie responded flatly.

"Still obsessed with cleanliness, huh?" Kevin sighed.

"So far he seems to be acting normally, he just doesn't remember us," Nazz pointed out worriedly.

Lee glanced over at her sister at the door. "Marie, I'm simply shocked you didn't stay with him," she stated. However, Marie took her words as a tease, and became angry. "Now's not the time to be joking, Lee!" she hissed.

"Who says I was jokin'? I know ya care about that boy a lot. You should be comforting him!" Lee bit back. Marie relaxed with a long sigh. "How can I comfort him when he doesn't even know me? Besides, he just wanted to be alone for a moment."

"I wonder if he has amnesia!" Jonny burst out suddenly.

"I don't think so, Jonny. It looked like something different. Kinda like how Eddy would stare off into space when we broke the clocks. He just looked kinda lost," Nazz explained.

"What are you guys talking about?" May squawked.

"Oh, right. You two still don't know what's going on, do you?" Kevin said.

Lee and May shook their heads. "Not a clue," Lee stated. Kevin thought to himself for a moment. "Well, it goes somethin' like this. When we broke the clocks in every room, we got these weird fake memories, you follow? What if Double D has gotten so many that he's just worn out his memory?" Kevin suggested. Eddy, who had remained silent throughout this whole conversation, suddenly perked up. "So, if that's the case, his memories are still there!" he added.

Ed clung to Eddy, his eyes were wide in horror. "Will Double D ever be Double D again?" he whimpered.

"I really hope so," Kevin sighed.

Just then, Double D stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed. He looked around at all the faces in the room. Though he didn't look quite as lost as before, he still wasn't the Double D they knew. "Wow, that was quick," Nazz pointed out as she rose from her seat at the table. "Are you feeling better?"

At her soothing words, Double D smiled politely. "Yes, Ma'am. I apologize for all the trouble. My head is feeling much better now."

"Dude, why'd ya call Nazz 'Ma'am?' Don't you know who we are?!" Kevin asked hopefully. Double D nodded, and for a brief moment a sliver of hope shone into the room. Double D pointed at Kevin. "I believe you are Kevin. She is Miss Nazz. That gentleman over there is Jonny," he stated, pointing at the correlating body that went with the names. However, as he brought his finger to Eddy, he paused unsurely and hesitated in his words. "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

Eddy's jaw dropped open. Of all the people in the room, how could he forget his?! His blood went ice cold as he mentally questioned if Double D would ever return to normal again, because he absolutely hated this.

"I'm Eddy," Eddy stated coldly. "You know, Ed just like yours! Only I prefer to be called Eddy!"

"Ah! That's right! Mr. Eddy!" Double D chipped in.

"What the hell's wrong with you?!" Eddy wailed.

Suddenly, Ed tugged on Eddy's sleeve. "Hey, Eddy. He's talking kinda like he used to when he was little, dontcha think?" he stated. Eddy had never had the correspondence before, but now he saw it clearly. Double D was acting just like the small, half-pint kid that approached them so many years ago. "You might be onto somethin', Lumpy," Eddy murmured.

"His memories are probably just jumbled up. Just give him time, I'm sure his memories will come back soon enough," Marie suggested. Double D's eyes averted to the floor in shame. "I apologize for the inconvenience," he sighed. Marie took him by the arm. "C'mon, you need more rest, mister," she stated, starting to pull him away. Double D reluctantly followed. "O-Okay."

The others watched as he was led back to the beds.

"Rolf is riddled with guilt over this ordeal. The Head-in-Sock Ed-boy looks much more weary than any of us combined," Rolf sighed.

Eddy felt a painful jab at his heart as well. He wondered if all of this could have been prevented somehow. Thinking back now, Double D tried harder than anyone else to protect them from the monster, and to top it off he seemed to know just what to do. Standing near the door, telling Eddy to run if they ran into the monster, all of it was done in an attempt to protect the others. And Eddy mustn't forget the fact that he tried to risk his life for them too. He had to wonder just how long he'd been trying to protect them all this time.

OoOoOo

"Hey, Kev," Eddy stated as he, Kevin, Nazz, Rolf and Jimmy headed down the hall of the basement. At the sound of his name, Kevin glanced back. "Wanna tell us where yer draggin' us?" Eddy griped. "I told ya to be patient. You'll see when we get there," Kevin grumbled.

"Rolf is also confused as to why Kevin boy drags us along," Rolf stated in agreement. Kevin led them down the right hallway of the fork, toward the dungeon cell they'd been trapped in earlier. "There was something' strange I wanna check out again," Kevin retorted.

"Again?" Nazz echoed unsurely. They all entered the room, and immediately, Kevin made a b-line for the door, pausing only to point at the box that still sat in the middle of the cell. "That box," he said. Everyone's eyes moved to the untouched cube of wood inside the cell.

"The box?!" Eddy fumed irritably. "Sock-head even said the stupid thing was locked! He just used it to lure us inside, Bazooka-chin!"

"Oh yeah? Did you see him put it in there, cause I sure didn't," Kevin bit back. Eddy opened his mouth to object, but quickly found he had no response. "I can't be the only one who thinks this box is strange. I mean, what kinda box just appears inside of a dungeon cell when it clearly wasn't there before?!" Kevin added, storming inside.

"You have a valid point," Rolf stated as he followed.

"Yea, I don't remember there being a box when I was trapped inside," Nazz added.

Kevin examined the box carefully all around. "Hey, it's got some sorta strange knob on it," he pointed out as he turned the box for everyone to see. The knob was rectangular, and it almost appeared like the locket of a ladies' wallet, twisted to the side to remain locked. The other three now joined Kevin in his examination. Jimmy leaned in extra close, attempting to unlock the box, but it would appear his feeble physique was no match, even as he gave all his strength. "This knob won't turn, Kevin! I don't think it's a lock at all," he sighed. Suddenly, Rolf shoved Jimmy aside. "Move aside, let Rolf have a go at this box!" Rolf bellowed. However, even as Rolf tried his strength at the box, it remained locked. He even attempted to smash the thing a few times, but the box proved stronger than the average hunk of wood.

"What I'm about to say might sound crazy," Kevin said randomly, digging through his pocket and pulling out his wrench. "But I think somehow my wrench was infused with some kinda weird magic. I can't quite explain it, but ever since I've found it her it's just felt different somehow. Maybe this magic is what we need to unlock it."

"Get real, Shovel-Chin! Somethin' like that is impossible!" Eddy snarled. Kevin ignored Eddy's angry outburst and put his wrench to the knob. Sure enough, the knob turned with barely any effort at all. The box hummed and groaned for a moment before returning to silence once more. Everyone could only stare in awe, even Eddy, despite being proven wrong yet again.

Kevin opened the top of the box and peered inside. Sitting neatly at the bottom were three items; a letter, a tape recorder, and a clock. "What's all this?" Kevin wondered aloud, reaching for the tape recorder first. The first thing they noticed right off the bat was the fact that it was splattered with blood. However, before Kevin could even think of reaching for the play button, the tape started playing all on its own.

At first, the only thing that could be heard was the violent huffing and frantic footsteps of someone running. Everyone was intently listening. This could be their only clue. For all they know, this was a message left from the last person in the house, but then again it could also be a warning from the mastermind behind it all. Whoever it was, the kids had every intention to listen to it.

"Myself in the future," the familiar voice coughed roughly. Just about everyone in the room jumped in surprise, especially Kevin. For the voice talking to them from the other side of this simple recorder was definitely Kevin's own voice. He sounded beat, almost like he didn't have much time left, but it was definitely Kevin none-the-less. And that alone only made this whole situation that much more confusing.

"To myself in the future, if you happen to find this recorder, there's no time to explain everything, but if by change Double Dweeb dies again, you hafta go back. You're the only other one who can go back! Pleas-… -ave-….-ble D!"

The desperate voice was slowly replaced with the irritating sound of the static, which ended up cutting off the very last part. However, even that small message was enough to leave everyone dumbstruck.

"Go... Back?" Jimmy murmured weakly.

"That's what he said…" Nazz affirmed.

"Kevin, what's going on?!" Jimmy wailed. However, Kevin looked just as clueless as they did.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Nazz asked hesitantly.

"I honestly haven't a clue..." Kevin insisted.

This new piece of evidence was certainly more than any of them expected, so much so that it almost seemed unreal even though the proof was right in front of their eyes. Jimmy reached into the box and pulled out the clock. "And what about this? Do you think this clock will give us more fake memories? Should we break it?" Jimmy asked.

"Well, if the memories are fake, why bother?" Kevin groaned.

"You seem to have forgotten that I've been getting clues!" Eddy intruded, taking the clock from Jimmy's hand.

Kevin's face lit up. "Oh, you're right. Maybe this is another clue," he stated.

"And maybe we can find out more about what you were talking about in that recording," Nazz suggested.

"Alright, then it's decided," Kevin grunted. Eddy nodded in understanding, and then proceeded to smash the clock against the floor. Reality faded into another scene, and Eddy knew there was no turning back. Now, his ghostly figure stood in the corner of one of the bedrooms, though he couldn't pinpoint which one exactly. The room was in shambles, furniture upturned, blood splattered across the floor among the beaten bodies of the kids. All around Eddy counted everyone, excluding the Kankers. And the most frightening part before him was the evolved monster standing in the middle of the room.

"_Move it, Double Dweeb! Get outta here while you still can!"_ Kevin shouted roughly. Eddy watched the scene carefully. I would seen no one could move but Double D. The monster inched its way toward him, but Double D would not budge. _"I will do no such thing!"_ he wailed in return. _"If I run you guys will die!" _

Suddenly, from beside Eddy's ghostly figure, Nazz let out a horrified gasp. "What on earth is going on?" she breathed. Eddy glanced to his side and immediately noticed that this Nazz was transparent as well. Somehow, she'd gotten sucked into the same flashback. "Nazz?" he breathed. Nazz glanced at him, and upon realizing she wasn't alone she promptly wrapped her arms around Eddy. "Eddy! Oh thank goodness I don't have to go through this alone!" she wailed. Eddy glanced back at the others from the memory. "I want to help them so bad," he stated. "I know, I do too but the only thing we are supposed to do is watch," she sighed.

"_Guys! My legs are broken! I can't reach him!"_ Ed wailed out in a panic, attempting to drag himself toward Double D. Tears of pain and anguish flowed from his eyes. _"Oh man, this is really bad! Don't worry bout us Sock-head! Just go!"_ past Eddy shrieked.

"_NO! I'm not running away this time!"_ Double D exploded. Suddenly, the monster leapt into the air, pouncing on Double D just as the boy smacked it right in the forehead with his book. The monster vanished, and blood poured out from a wound it'd given him right through his abdomen. The wound was horrifically large, creating a crater in his flesh that spurted blood like a fountain. Right away they could see his face go pale from the blood loss. Double D fell to his knees weakly in a pool of his own blood, glancing around at everyone in the room. _"You all… need… your injuries… looked at… right away,"_ he wheezed, gripping at his gushing wound.

"I really hate watchin' this," ghostly Eddy quivered. "I hate watchin' people I know get slaughtered, especially Double D…" Eddy couldn't stop shivering. Even though this wasn't a memory of what happened in reality, it still pained him greatly to watch, especially for a second time. Even Nazz seemed unusually pale as she covered her mouth in horror. "Why does someone always die…?" she breathed through her fingertips.

Suddenly, Double D collapsed; the red pool underneath him was spreading out to the crumbled white rug. His body was growing paler by the minute. Yet, despite this fact he smiled and managed a weak laugh. _"I did it,"_ he stated. _"I made no mistakes. I saved everyone!"_

"_Double D! Please hold on! I'm… coming to help you!"_ Ed wailed out, still trying his hardest to drag himself across the room, but it was obvious he was growing tired. The sheer worry and panic was obvious on his face which only hurt the ghostly figures even more. Everyone else in the room was in complete shock, struck speechless by what they just witnessed.

"_I was… so useless last time. Now... It's my turn… to fall," _Double D coughed._ "It would seem… second time's a charm."_

Everyone in the room was trying their hardest to move, but with little luck. They were all too badly beaten. "There has to be someone who can move!" Jimmy wailed tearfully. "C'mon, the Dork needs help!" Kevin added. Eddy had managed to crawl by Double D side. He took him up weakly in his arms, pushing his black hat away from his dulling eyes. Double D's body had gotten extremely pale, almost ghost-like in a way. Eddy could clearly tell he'd lost way too much blood, though any person could tell that much by the sheer amount of it on the ground, soaking into Eddy's bright blue jeans even as they spoke.

"_I'm so happy…" _he laughed quietly in a rough voice. _"Eddy… you can all… go home… I'm so happy…but…"_ His dull excitement toned down as his smile vanished. He was barely able to keep his eyes open, barely able to even speak and still we was worried about the others.

"_Hey… Eddy…" _he coughed. Eddy had been a speechless mess throughout his muttering words. He couldn't think straight past the thought that his friend was dying in his arms. _"Just hold on, Sock-head! I'll save you!" _he rasped. Eddy glanced around at the others, who had just barely gotten back their strength. _"Hey! I need some bandages, pronto!"_ he instructed desperately. So far, Kevin managed to get himself moving, but not very quickly as he limped over to where they sat with some bed sheets in hand. _"I'm comin'! Hold on!"_ he wailed.

"_Remember when… the three of us would have sleepovers?"_ Double D asked with a dull smile. Eddy glanced back down at him. _"I'd always… end up sandwiched… between the two of you… That sounds really nice… right now," _Double D continued. The look on panic crossed Eddy's face.

"_Of course I do! How could I forget when you'd always wake up in a fit?! Just please hold on Double D, if ya do, I'll have another sleepover! And this time I'll be in the middle. I promise!" _Eddy wailed in return. Kevin had finally managed to make it to them, handing the sheets to Eddy, who immediately attempted first aid on his wound, but it was already too late.

"_But being in the middle… wasn't always… that bad… In fact… it was… comforting… to have both… of my closest friends… so close,"_ Double D wheezed. _"Th-That's a good point,"_ Eddy stammered. Double D winced in pain as Eddy tried to bandage his wound roughly. His breaths were slow, and he could barely keep his eyes open, but still Eddy was going to try to save him. After all, what would he do if he lost his best friend here?

Double D's cold body began to shiver as hiccups escaped the boy's throat. Eddy glanced at his face and quickly noticed the tears streaming down. His lower lip quivered in sorrow as he tried his hardest to hang on to the last thread of life he had. _Ed…..dy…"_ he breathed.

"_What is it?"_ Eddy asked back in a heavy voice.

Double D sniffled, his breaths were staggered gasps for air now. _"I… don't want... to die here. I… I want to go home… with you all."_

His words stabbed at Eddy's heart, but before he could say anything back, Double D fell limp. _"Double D…?" _he said quietly, disbelief heavy in his tone. Tears flowed from his eyes as he took his limp body in his arms again. _"C'mon, Double D! Quit playin' around!" _he urged in a rising tone. But still Double D did not move. It was painfully obvious he'd died, but Eddy would not accept it. He suddenly became enraged, shaking Double D's body violently in an attempt to wake him. _"Come on! Wake up! I know you ain't dead! You gotta get up! We gotta go home now!" _he shouted. Kevin grabbed Eddy's shoulder. "_Hey, man. Calm down! He's gone! Hey, Ed! You hafta take everyone outside if you can!" _Kevin barked, but as he glanced back he found Ed in an emotional wreck as well.

"_I know ya don't want to Eddy, but we gotta get the key and move on. He told us it was in the—" _

"_Move on?! We have to save Double D first! I ain't goin' nowhere without him!" _Eddy interrupted furiously.

"_Save him?! Double Dweeb's already dead numbskull! I know it hurts, but we can't just sit here and mope about it!" _Kevin growled back. Suddenly, Eddy took him by the shirt, fist raised as a threat.

"_You don't know what yer talking about! He can be saved! I know it!" _ Eddy hissed. However, the others knew all too well that he was simply delirious. Kevin backed away from his grip, turning the tables on Eddy by grabbing him with both hands by the collar and throwing him down to the ground. Even Kevin had tears in his eyes from the trauma that had just unfolded. _"THERE'S NO CURE FOR DEATH!"_ he yelled in a voice rough with tears. _"Jonny, get everyone out of here NOW" _Kevin instructed; however, as he glanced back at the boy he quickly found he was unstable as well. Jonny had fallen to his knees, tears forming in his eyes as he looked on at Double D's lifeless body.

"_That… coulda been us…" _he whimpered helplessly. Before Kevin could explode on anyone else, Nazz rose to her feet. _"Don't worry, Kev. I'll escort them," _she stated. Suddenly, Eddy took a step forward.

"_Where the hell're you guys going?! Sock-head needs our help! How could you abandon our friend at a time like this?!" _he screeched as Nazz gathered the others in the room. She flinched at his words, but said nothing to him directly. Deep down, she really did feel like she was abandoning Double D, but there was nothing else they could do.

Kevin stepped between Eddy and the others as they all managed to limp and scramble into the hallway. Even the two ghostly watchers made their way to the hallway. Neither present Eddy nor Nazz could bear anymore sorrow of the situation inside the room.

"You're looking awfully pale, dude," Nazz stated as she glanced down at Eddy. Even through the semi-transparent appearance he had, she could see the lightening of his skin. "I'm here if you need comfort," she added with a fake smile. "You don't look that great either ya know…" Eddy pointed out. Nazz's smile faltered as she grabbed nervously at her arm. "I just feel so helpless," she sighed. She then wrapped both arms around herself unstably. "Why does someone always die…?"

Even from out here in the hall, the angry shouts of Kevin and Eddy could be heard from the inside. All the injured kids sitting all around still looked in complete shock. Not only at the death of someone so close to them, but Eddy's reactions as well.

"_I wonder why Eddy's acting this ay… it isn't like him,"_ Sarah whimpered.

"_Even in our little group, Eddy and Double D were closer to each other than anything. Eddy just doesn't want to let him go,_" Ed sniffled roughly. Sarah leaned in closer to her brother for comfort. In this painful situation, it was the only option she had that wouldn't make the situation worse. Sarah knew very well how important both Eddy and Double D were to her brother. She knew very well what lasting effects this will have after watching one of them die and the other lose their mind.

"_Hey Jimmy! Whatcha got there?!"_ Jonny wailed out. All eyes, including those of the transparent figures, averted to Jimmy who was holding onto a thick, redish-brown leather book with musty yellow pages. The book itself was splattered with blood. _"Oh, this?"_ Jimmy asked, raising the book a little. _"I thought it was Double D's, so I picked it up to give to him later…. But that's pointless now."_

"_Let me see,"_ Jonny urged.

"Hey," present Eddy stated under his breath. "That's the book Sock-head's always carryin' around."

Jonny took the book from Jimmy and opened it up to the first page. Immediately, the look of confusion crossed his face. _"Who the heck's Philip Ryuuzu?!"_ he screeched. The present Eddy and Nazz became stumped.

Nazz and Jimmy leaned in a bit closer to examine the book. _"Dude, is that real blood?!"_ Nazz breathed in shock. _"It looks like a contract of some sort,"_ Jimmy pointed out.

Eddy glanced at Nazz in confusion, but quickly found that she was no longer beside him. It would seem she'd gotten sucked back to reality. Come to think of it, this world was beginning to fade for him as well.

"_Mere mortal who seeks to restore what is broken," _Jimmy began to read the page aloud. _"This mansion is under my command. Those who enter cannot leave unless a vital sacrifice is made."_

Eddy was barely hanging onto this world now as it all faded to black, but he still strained to hear every last word. He had to! This was the mystery they'd been trying so hard to solve. But his efforts were futile as he soon found himself back in reality before he could catch anymore words.

Now in the present time, he found Kevin, Rolf and Jimmy all looking at Nazz and Eddy in concern. "You two look pale, are you alright?!" Jimmy wailed. Eddy suddenly collapsed to his knees, gripping at his head in frustration. "I know this sounds crazy, but I don't think those are false memories, or even warnings," he quivered. The others silently watched him. "I think what we just witnessed actually happened. I don't know how, but there's no other way!"

"I don't think it's crazy, dude. I agree with you. But if this is the case…. Then how many times have we lost our friends?" Nazz asked with fear in her voice. Eddy felt incredibly weak, but there was still so much they didn't know. And he knew Double D held the answers. The other three could only look on in confusion.

"Maybe it's best if we head back to the room for now."

* * *

**AN: The ending might come sooner than I originally thought. In order to keep the chapters a little bit more lengthy I combined a couple of them. This was originally two chapters, but I hope you guys kinda understand what's going on. Next chapter the cat will be completely out of the bag. Sorry for mistakes n' what not, I was really uninspired to write this after a while. Thank you for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14 - Contract

"_Didn't look out below._

_Watch the time go right out the window._

_Trying to hold on, but you didn't even know,_

_I wasted it all just to watch you go._

_I kept everything inside and even though I tried, it all fell apart._

_What was meant to be will eventually be a memory of a time when I tried so hard."_

_-'In the End,' Linkin Park_

* * *

Chapter 14 – Contract

"There you guys are! I've been worried sick about you!" Double D wailed as the five kids entered the sanctuary. "Eddy, I hope you weren't pulling some ridiculous scam again," he added. Eddy perked up at the old, familiar tone of his friend's voice. He sounded less like a helpless child, and more like the Double D they used to know. He smiled in relief. "You got your memories back?" he asked hopefully. Suddenly, Ed bowled up next to Double D. "You betcha, Eddy! I've been helpin' him remember and he's been doin' real good!" he laughed excitedly. Double D peeled himself from Ed's smelly grasp. "Well, yes… but still not everything has come back to me quite yet. I apologize for the inconvenience," he stated. Eddy merely brushed him off with a wave of his hand. "Don't sweat it. I'm just glad to have ya back."

From the small, makeshift kitchen, the other kids glanced back in excitement. "We've been working hard to make food for you guys!" Jonny called out. Kevin walked over to join them. "Wow, I'm impressed you managed something with what little ingredients we had," he praised. Jimmy and Rolf were quick to join them. "Ya, ya! Rolf is hungrier than a savage beast!" he stated. Nazz paused, glancing back at Eddy. "You gonna come eat?" she offered. "I'm not hungry," Eddy stated. "Besides, there's something I want to show Double D."

Nazz smiled sweetly. "If you say so," she laughed. Double D cast a quizzical glance down at Eddy. "Me?" he questioned unsurely. It was then Double D spotted the slightly crinkled letter in Eddy's other hand. The top had been torn open, indicating that nosey Eddy had already read it. "Yup," Eddy remarked. "Got a moment?"

Without a word, Double D nodded hesitantly before moving to the corner of the room with Eddy. The other children seemed too eloped with the food and their stories to even be slightly concerned over their isolation. Eddy held up the letter to Double D's face. On the front of the letter was Double D's name. He took the letter from Eddy, observing the name in concern. "Odd, who on earth would mail a letter to me in this place?" he wondered aloud.

"It wasn't mailed here," Eddy stated. "We found it I the basement. Don't you recognize the handwriting?"

Double D observed the letters once more, and realized what Eddy was talking about with a small jolt. "Th… This is _my_ handwriting," he stammered.

"Do you remember anything that happened in the house?" Eddy asked. Immediately, the look of fear returned to Double D's face. "To be perfectly honest, I remember a lot, but a few things are still fuzzy. It still frightens me to think of what I happen to recall though," he sighed.

"Read the letter out loud. It'll help ya a lot," Eddy said.

Double D slipped the note from the envelope, unfolding the paper as he began to skim over the words neatly written on the paper. "To myself who lives, and who isn't alone—" Double D's voice trailed off. He blinked a few times in confusion before continuing.

"_To myself who lives, and who isn't alone,_

_Once again, I've made some mistakes. However, I've also made some progress as well. All the while, I slowly began to learn to rely on my friends. I was always afraid they'd blame me. I was always afraid that they would hate me and scream at me. Worst of all, I was always afraid that they would leave me. Yet, it was them who told me I had the wrong idea. Yes, they were infuriated with me, and it was painful. Not that the struck me, but it really, really hurt. I finally figured it out, but sadly this is a memory I will not be able to pass onto you. In this memory, yet again I will die to protect them. That is why I write this letter. Tell them the truth. They might become mad and scold you. 'Why didn't you rely on your friends sooner?' 'What are friends for?!' That's what they told me, and this is what I'm going to tell you too. I'm sure I'll cry a little bit, but then… then—"_

Double D's voice progressively became more hoarse, until is dissolved completely. He stared at Eddy in complete disbelief, who merely gazed back with a comforting smile.

"Ya know, all this time I've been trying to think of what to do, but maybe that's a question I should be leaving to you," Eddy stated. Double D refolded the paper and put it back into the envelope. "I suppose we could begin by searching for the key," he sighed.

"No," Eddy grunted, a frown crossing his face.

"No?" Double D echoed questionably.

"I meant, what do ya wanna do when we get outta here?" Eddy corrected.

"Oh." Double D almost looked doubtful in a sense, but Eddy quickly put of a cunning smile to help cheer him up.

"Well, here's my idea. When we get out, we could all crash at my place. And at night, we could all sleep together like the good ol' times, with you in the middle," Eddy suggested. Finally, Double D put on a meaningful smile. It was the best damned smile Eddy had seen on him ever since they entered this dreadful house. "That sounds like a marvelous idea," he agreed.

Eddy suddenly scratched his chin in thought. "Since we still have school, it'll have to be on a weekend. But I'll have plenty of games and magazines to keep us entertained."

"A sleepover?" Kevin asked, his attention immediately zipping to the two Eds in the corner. Surprisingly, he put on a large smile. "That sounds so choice, man! I'll bring some jawbreakers!" he added excitedly, hopping off his chair to join them in the corner. By now, the other children had become intrigued with this conversation. As Kevin joined their duo, Eddy looped his arms around his neck. "See? Even bazooka-chin here wants in," he chuckled proudly. However, Kevin scowled at him. "Don't push it, flat-head," he growled. Eddy immediately retracted his arm nervously.

"For breakfast, I'll make everyone the best omelets they ever tasted!" Eddy boasted.

"And after that, we can all play outside like we used to!" Sarah added as the other kids crowded around them.

"Plank says we should go to Mando-A-Go-Go too!" Jonny added in anticipation.

"I suppose the three of us could hold back the chasin' for this night," Lee stated.

Eddy glanced around at all the kids and their crazy ideas with a meek smile. "One day ain't gonna be enough time for all this…" he stated with a small laugh. Marie threw her hands on her hips. "Then use the entire weekend, smarty-pants!" she suggested.

"We can even play spin the bottle!" Nazz offered.

"And on the second night we can all bring food for a feast! I bake some pretty mean desserts!" Jimmy added.

"I'll bring the meatloaf!" May intercepted.

Now, the clamor of excitement filled the room as the children talked amongst themselves about their big plans. "Rolf is even willing to slack off with his daily chores for this festivity!" Rolf blurted. Suddenly, Ed bounced around happily, planting himself in between his two pals with his arms wrapped around them. "And then at night we can all sleep in a big huddle like the bestest friends we are!" he chuckled. Double D wiped a tear from his eye as his lips curled in a smile. "I'll most certainly be looking forward to this party," he smiled. Eddy gave Double D a warm glance with a large smile. "See, Sock-head? This is why we all gotta escape, including you. This party won't be the same without ya!" he pointed out.

_((I'm sure I'll cry, and then…_

…_And then I'll look around, and realize I've had so many friends this close to me the entire time.))_

Double D buried his face into his hands as tears seeped from between his fingers. Suddenly, Eddy became concerned. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing…" Double D blubbered. He lowered his hands, glancing around the room with a tear-soaked face that smiled brighter than any sun. "I'm just so happy."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. This was certainly a big step. Double D took a moment to calm down.

"Everyone… there's something I feel you need to hear. Will… Will you listen? Even if it takes some time?" Double D asked unsurely.

"It's about time!" Sarah barked.

Eddy looped his arm around Double D's shoulder and pulled him a bit closer. "Atta boy! That's what I wanted to hear!" he cheered.

"And don't ya dare leave anything out, ya hear?!" Kevin warned.

Double D almost felt like crying again, but suppressed the urge to do so. "Thank you all for being so kind," he stated. The room fell quiet and still as they waited for him to explain. "Well, for starters, this all began when I found the address underneath my brand new desk at school. But you guys know that story, what is it you want to hear?"

"This isn't the first time we came here, was it?" Eddy asked right off the bat. It was a touchy subject for all of them, Double D especially.

"Yea, I was wondering about that too," Nazz added.

Double D's sliver of cheer and happiness immediately dulled with his smile.

"No," he answered honestly. "In fact, we've gone through this several times since we left the school."

"So, Nazz was right all along! But the part that bothers me is the fact that turning back time should be impossible," Sarah stated.

Double D paused hesitantly. "Erm… the whole story behind this mansion defies all laws of science as we know it, but it's definitely real. I've been through this so many times that I've had time to study up on this dwelling estate, and this is what I've found. This home was built back in the 1800's. The very first landowner of this manor was a man named Philip Ryuuzu, who intended to buy the mansion to practice witchcraft in its maze-like basements. However, one day some nearby residents discovered his practice of black magic, and told the mayor, who sentenced Ryuuzu to life in the dungeon, tortured for his information in his very own home. The townsfolk offered to sell the home once Ryuuzu passed, but the stubborn man claimed that this was his home, and no one was going to step foot in it but himself. Yet still, the citizens merely laughed at his warnings. And like he predicted, no one past that point stayed in the house for more than a few days. And no one has ever returned from it. Ryuuzu himself appears in the form of the demons he used to summon. He can appear, and disappear suddenly, and his skin is seemingly unable to be pierced by any weapon. He merely runs around his house, torturing those souls who ventured into his domain much like he was tortured back then. Rumor states that he turns those unable to escape into demons as well, but he is kind enough to allow each victim to turn back time until he sees it fit to take their soul for his own. Or until they die… whichever arrives first," Double D explained.

The story sent a chilling feeling over the group. Never in their lives did they imagine something as elaborate as this could even exist in their world.

"So, what happened the very first time?" Nazz was the first to speak up.

"The first time, I arrived with everyone," Double D began.

"So that's all of us, minus the Kankers," Jimmy stated. Double D nodded. "To be honest, this is the first time the Kankers have come here," he pointed out. "Anyways, we all just wanted to have fun, we were all going to go home soon. However, when we went inside we found a monster and we all ran in different directions. I tried to go back out the front door, only to discover it was locked. Panicked, I ran around in search of the rest of you, only to discover your beaten bodies on death's row. I was frightened and upset, but I couldn't give up. Sarah, Jimmy, Jonny, Kevin, Nazz, Rolf, and even Ed… they had all lost their lives before my very eyes. The last person I found was Eddy, who had discovered the key to the front door, but he too was on the verge of death. He told me to take the key and get away from the house. He told me to run as fast as I could, so that's what I did. Ryuuzu chased me all the way to the garden gate, but I was the only one who managed to escape."

"You… were all alone," May breathed sadly. Double D nodded as he recalled upon the gruesome memory that still haunted his memory to this day.

OoOoOo

The thunderous footsteps of Ryuuzu shook the ground as Double D strained to keep up his speed down the path toward the gate. He didn't have too many wounds, but his entire body was weak and pained. His mind kept telling him to turn back, but his feet only kept moving until he tripped, tumbling just outside the gates of freedom where Ryuuzu could not reach him. However, the monster still stood just inside the gate, its gleaming black eyes fixated on Double D as he pushed himself off the ground weakly.

Still facing away from Ryuuzu, Double D sat up on his knees and hunched over, wiping the sweat from his forehead. His breathes came in heavy pants of exhaustion and sorrow, the visions of his bloodied friends flashed through his mind once more. He winced sadly, trying his hardest to retain the tears. "I-… I know you can't get past the gate. That home is your barrier after all," Double D stated shakily. The demon merely sat in place quietly, watching Double D's every move like a tiger stalking its prey.

"I did it, I escaped! I may have lost everybody, but I did it!" Double D added with a furious glance back at the creature. Then, he paused. He… lost everyone… everyone who had ever cared for him, and everyone who mattered to him. They didn't merely go away to college like he imagined. They actually died. His lip quivered sadly as tears rolled down his cheek. He pulled his hat over his eyes in shame. They all died, and all he did was run away like a coward. What would he tell their parents? How would he even begin to explain this?

Double D rose to his feet, but instead of heading home, he turned back toward the monster with a new, infuriated look upon his face. He faltered for a moment, cringing forward in sadness. "Oh, Lord…" he whimpered. Then, he fell to his knees, head uplifted toward the sky in a sorrowful wail.

"GIVE THEM BACK!"

OoOoOo

"Next thing I knew, I was back at the school just as Eddy was leaving to come here. I had this book in my hand," Double D stated, holding up the leather book, "On the first page was a contract signed in my own blood. I knew I had gone back, but no matter how many times I went back, I couldn't go back to a time before I found that address. On top of that, you all wouldn't listen to my desperate pleas. So I had no choice but to keep doing it until I got it right."

"So you made a deal with this Ryuuzu guy?" Eddy gasped.

"Yes," Double D nodded. "Mere mortal who seeks to restore what is broken, this mansion is under my command. Those who enter cannot leave unless a vital sacrifice is made. By giving me your signature in your own blood, you verify that you are willing to be that sacrifice that will save your fallen comrades. You may turn back time however many times you wish, but when I claim your soul will be a mystery. You have until then to escort your comrades to safety. However, in return your soul will belong to me." Double D's words were flawless, and without even referring to his book once. Eddy had to wonder just how many times he's read that contract.

"Every time I went back, someone still died. I tried so many things, which eventually turned into mistakes, and then memories," Double D went on hoarsely.

"Wait, does that mean… those memories were real all along?" Jimmy gasped. Double D nodded. "Everything you saw happened at some point in the past."

Eddy paused, slightly confused. "Are you the only one who can turn back time?" he asked hesitantly.

"I am," Double D confirmed. However, that still didn't clear up Eddy's confusion, and Double D noticed this right away. "Is… something the matter, Eddy?" he wondered.

"Yea, in several of those memories, I watched you die, Sock-head," he stated.

Now, it was Double D's turn to look shocked and confused. "Me?!" he questioned. "Why, that's impossible. I'm the only one on the contract, there's no way someone else could have turned back time."

"But Eddy and I both saw it!" Nazz objected. Again, Double D merely blinked slowly in confusion. "If I died, who would have turned back time?" he asked rhetorically. The others had to admit he had a point, but this was certainly baffling none-the-less.

"Where did you find that clock?" Double D prodded.

"It was inside the box in the cellar," Eddy replied.

"There was something inside that box?!" Double D gasped.

"Maybe you don't remember because of your memory situation. There has to be a logical reason!" Jimmy intervened. "Besides, we get the gist of it."

"How do you turn back time?" Eddy asked one more question, ignoring Jimmy.

"There's a fairly large clock in the house that only the magic in this book can turn. And only the person who's blood in signed on the page can use the magic," Double D answered.

"Well, now we know the truth, and what we need to do. So what're we waitin' around blabbing for?!" Kevin barked.

"Wait, one more thing," Eddy interrupted. "Double D, do you remember that question I asked you earlier?"

Double D furrowed his brows in annoyance. "You've asked a plethora of questions, Eddy. A specific one would be—"

"Are ya hurtin' anywhere?"

Double D's voice froze mid-sentence as his face slowly distorted in a sorrowful way. "Oh."

"I don't think you were being totally honest with me last time, so I'll ask again. Are ya hurt anywhere?" Eddy stated.

Double D had no words. He could only grip at his battered orange shirt and bit his lower lip in that never ending habit of his. "I wanted to be with you guys. It hurt so badly to watch you all die over and over again, but I just couldn't give up. Yet, I couldn't find a means of escape either. I really wanted to escape with everyone… but…" He explained, voice shaking in sorrow. He sniffled dryly a few times, but never got around to finishing his sentence.

"We all want to escape with ya. I betcha even Kevin wants you to come with us," Eddy stated. At the sound of his name, Kevin folded his arms, but otherwise had no objections to them.

"Just like the Double D Ed-boy doesn't want to live alone. We don't want to live without him either!" Rolf added triumphantly.

"…You guys…" Double D whimpered, attempting at a small smile. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and everyone looked on with a warm smile. Ed exchanged a worried glance between Eddy and Double D before settling with an annoyed glance in Eddy's direction. "Eddy! You made Double D cry again!" he growled. Kevin rolled his eyes. "Dude, this conversation is serious," he grunted.

"I know he can do it!" Nazz cheered. "We can all escape together!"

"And we'll have a HUGE party like Eddy said!" Jonny added enthusiastically.

Suddenly, Kevin stepped up to Double D and took him by the collar of his shirt. His face was angry, almost to the point of a threat. Immediately, the mood in room shifted. "Kevin, what the heck're doing?!" Sarah wailed.

"Listen here, Double Dweeb!" Kevin growled. Double D flinched in his grasp, fear overtaking his gaze. "If you rely on that clock anymore, I'll give ya such a poundin' you'll wish that monster had come to get ya. We're here to help you know, ya hear me?!" Kevin barked. Double D relaxed, realizing that he didn't really mean any threat. The entire room returned to the warm, fuzzy-hearted feeling it had before as Kevin released Double D.

"Now, how about we find that key," Eddy suggested.

"That sounds like a marvelous idea," Double D stated.

The entire group of kids made their way out of the sanctuary. However, their little ray of hope was demolished as they found a monster sitting in wait in the bedroom on the other side.

"Holy crapolla! What da heck is that thing?!" Lee screeched. Marie jolted, rubbing her ear in pain with an angry glance at her sister. "Jeez Louis, Lee! Quit yellin in my ear!" she barked back.

"Looks like the monstrosity has been waiting our company," Rolf sneered, taking out his axe. Suddenly, another monster entered the room, and just about everyone gasped. "Two?! Aw, C'mon!" Eddy wailed.

"Looks like we got no choice but to fight em," Kevin groaned, taking out his wrench.

The other children nodded, taking out whatever makeshift weapons they could manage and prepared for battle.

* * *

**AN: Omfg you guys, two more chapters! I just now noticed this. I hope these guys are staying enough in-character to still be readable. I know some of their personalities go crazy, but that's how I imagined them being in a situation like this. I hope it's acceptable, and I apologize if it isn't. Thanks for reading this far! I hope you enjoy the rest. **


	15. Chapter 15 - We Were So Close

Chapter 15 – We Were So Close

"So, uh… Any bright ideas?" Eddy asked nervously. He stepped closer to his two friends as the monster closest to them leaned in with a low growl.

"Split into two groups… don't die," Kevin listed.

Eddy exchanged glances between the two monsters before them. He was at least neither of them was that freak muscle monster, Ryuuzu. But smaller demons as they may be, two of these buggers would still be a difficult battle. Eddy clutched onto his half of the broken pipe, hands shaking.

Finally, the monsters burst into action. The first one dove directly for Double D, but Eddy wasn't about to let them nab him so soon. However, before he could barely make a move, Marie dove in from behind, grabbing a hold of the monster and pinning it to the ground with her bare hands. "Nobody lays a hand on my man but me," she snarled. Surprisingly, Marie was holding her ground against the strength of this beast. Eddy saw his chance. He knew its weakness, and it was cornered. He charged up to them, iron pipe held over his head as he let out an ear-splitting battle cry. Yet, just in the nick of time, the creature shoved Marie back roughly and leapt out of the way just as Eddy brought down the pole where its forehead once was. Once it regained its footing, the beast narrowed its black eyes at Eddy.

Double D scrambled over to Marie's side, offering a hand to help her up. "Are you alright?!" he gasped. Marie took his hand and rose to her feet, casting a flirtatious smile his way. "I am now~," she cooed.

"Quit yer yapping and start helpin'!" Eddy wailed suddenly. Both Double D and Marie averted their attention toward his voice and saw that he'd managed to get the creature in a hand lock. By the looks of it, he didn't have much strength left. It was then Lee flew in and kicked the creature right in the rib cage, sending it sliding back away from Eddy. "No! Go for its forehead! That's its weakness!" he growled. Before Lee could respond, the creature was at them again, this time with teeth bared. They both realized that they had no time to react, and prepared for the worst when Ed and May swooped in, taking the monster by its arms and pulling it back against the wall. "Now, guys!" Ed instructed, glancing back at his friends. Yet, before any of them could make a move, the monster shoved Ed and May off, nicking both of them with its razor-sharp claws. They fell to the floor, writhing in pain.

"Oh, crap…" Eddy whimpered as the monster charged for them once again. Marie and Lee attempted to stand in its way, but were merely bowled over to the side. Eddy and Double D were the only two left in the battle. In one last desperate attempt to protect his friend, Eddy put himself in front of Double D. "I won't let you take him!" he roared with arms outstretched. As Double D realized what was going on, he grabbed Eddy by the shoulder. "Eddy! No!" he wailed, trying to tug him out of the monster's path, but it was already too close.

All of a sudden, Kevin leapt in between the monster and Eddy, slamming its forehead with his wrench just in time, causing it to disappear. The relieving silence immediately took over. Both of the monsters were gone; the kids had won. Glancing around, Eddy could see that everyone was alright. They were beaten and tired, but alive none-the-less. Kevin turned to face Eddy, an annoyed grimace stretched over his face.

"I thought we agreed we were getting' outta here this time!" he sneered. Eddy titled his head to the side slightly in confusion. "Yea, and we are" he insisted.

"How the heck are we supposed to get out together if you keep puttin' your life on the line? Maybe you should start takin' your own advice there, Dork-O," Kevin countered. Eddy jolted in realization, but remained silent.

"We'll search for the key tomorrow. For now, let's just rest," Kevin suggested, heading back into the sanctuary. The other kids nodded and headed back into the sanctuary with him. The entire time, the words Kevin had spoken rung in Eddy's ears. He knew Kevin was right, though he wouldn't get caught dead admitting it. Yet, he couldn't just sit idly by and watch his best friend get mauled before him without going something about it, not while he was able to do something about it this time around. Their enemies became stronger with every encounter, and at this rate there wouldn't be much hope left for their merry band.

OoOoOo

"First things first," Double D began as the 12 of them gathered at the sanctuary door. "We need to head to the fifth level for this estate. That is where the clock is, and where I hid the key to the front door."

"You're certain it's there?" Kevin pressed.

"Positive, Kevin. I remember it clearly," Double D responded confidently.

"So where is the fifth floor?!" Eddy interrupted. "Cuz last time I checked there was only four floors in here."

"I'll show you. It's complicated to explain," Double D stated as he opened the door to their only safe haven.

Jimmy looked unusually excited as he smiled from ear to ear, and Sarah was quick to pick up on his newfound giddiness. "What's gotten into you?" she asked.

"I'm just so happy! Just think, soon we'll be on the road to freedom! And we won't ever have to return to this room for fear of our lives ever again!" he cheered.

Double D paused as he exited, looking back at Jimmy with a weak smile. "I hope you're right, Jimmy."

After that, he quietly led the group up the stairs and into the room with the lever on the fourth floor. Surprisingly, they did not have a run-in with the monster the entire journey here, nor was he waiting in the room for them. It was almost too good to be true, but the kids couldn't get their hopes up just yet. Without dwelling too much, Double D moved immediately to the lever, moving its position to the "heaven" slot.

Suddenly, from the ceiling the sound of gears and mechanics clicking and whirling in motion as a small section of the ceiling slowly came down to form a narrow staircase to this mysterious fifth floor. Everything was coming together to Eddy now. In fact, if he'd put a little thought into it, he probably could have figured this out himself with a little time. It only made sense since "hell" opened a trap door to the floor below.

"Since these stairs are so narrow, the monster can't set foot on the fifth floor. That is precisely why I hid the key on this floor," Double D said as he took the first few steps up the steep staircase. The others followed in a single-follow line.

"So, if you just wanted to put the key in a place you would remember, why not put it in an easier place?" Lee blurted.

"That monster's goal is to make sure that we don't get out of this house, if I put it in a place that it could easily get to… I'm afraid it might destroy that key," Double D answered honestly.

"Oh, whatever! Let's just get this key and get the heck outta here!" Sarah hissed. They all continued their journey up the stairs without another word, arriving in a very tight room. Everything about this new room was white from the ceiling right down to the floor, everything except for the deep red blood platters and hand prints that decorated the floor and the wall around the door. Right away, the other kids went pale. Something was not right about this room. However, Double D seemed to be unfazed by it. They had to wonder just how many times he'd seen this room in order to be this comfortable.

Without wasting even a second of their precious time, Double D walked through the dark archway, flipping on the light switch inside to reveal more whiteness, and even more blood. Right in the center of the room was a fairly large, rectangular shaped knob, and surrounding that knob spaced around the edges of this large room were crimson red numbers. Double D trekked across the room, but the others seemed more uneasy about it.

"What is this?!" Eddy shrieked, turning every which way to look at all the creepy numbers. Ed walked up beside him, observing the numbers in a less frantic manner. "It looks like a clock!" he stated.

"That's correct, Ed." Double D stated. The others looked up and noticed that he had stopped near a door on the opposite wall. He looked over the clock with a ghostly gleam in his eyes. "This is the clock I used to turn back time."

"These numbers are written in real blood. Just what the heck kinda clock is this?!" Marie shrieked.

"Even Rolf is uneasy at the sight of this blood-clock," Rolf quivered.

"It doesn't matter anymore, because we are all going to escape this time. Am I right?" Double D added with a small, hopeful smile. Relief crashed over the others to finally hear Double D say such a thing.

"You bet!" Jimmy cheered.

Now, I hid the key in this other room. Come now, we mustn't waste anymore time," Double D urged as he opened the door to the next room. The other kids quickly moved on, following Double D from one room to the next. All except for Kevin. He continued to stare at the clock, scratching his chin in thought. Before she entered the next room, Nazz paused at the door. "You coming, Kev?" she asked.

"Not yet. There's something strange about this thing. I wanna check it out some more," he stated. Nazz smiled sweetly, closing the door and walking back to stand beside Kevin. "Then I'll stay with you. To keep you company!" she giggled. Another quiet moment dragged on as Kevin stepped about the room, looking as if something was out of place in this room they'd never been to before. Something was definitely bothering him.

"So, what are you looking for?" Nazz finally asked. Kevin finally stopped moving at the knob. He stared at it for a good three seconds before looking back at Nazz. "Doesn't this knob look familiar to you?" he asked.

"Not to me, maybe you saw it in a flashback or something," Nazz suggested, shrugging her shoulders.

"No, that's not it. I know I've seen this before!" Kevin huffed. He proceeded to attempt to move the knob with his hands, but the stubborn fixture would not budge even an inch. Again, he stood straight and scratched his chin.

"Be careful! You know that turning that thing resets time again. What if we have to start over?" Nazz shrieked.

"Don't worry. Bare hands alone won't make it move, besides, I have a feeling only the one with the contract can move this thing," Kevin retorted. He glanced around at the numbers, and then back at the knob again.

All of a sudden, it hit him. This knob was very similar, if not the same kind of knob that was on the box in the basement. The very box that contained a tape recording of Kevin's own voice instructing him to turn back time if Double D ever died again. Kevin had a strong hunch, but in all honesty wasn't sure if it would work. From his pocket, he pulled out his wrench and locked it onto one of the corners of this knob.

"Kevin, if you think your wrench is going to move this thing, you're crazier than I thought!" Nazz said, slightly annoyed. However, despite her words, when Kevin turned his wrench, the knob turned with it. Without turning it all the way, Kevin dropped his wrench and fell back. It was this moment that he realized something very important he'd been wondering about ever since the very start. It was in fact him that had turned back time when Double D couldn't. Though Kevin never considered the possibility, even when his past self told him so, he never thought it would have been him all this time.

All of a sudden, a shrill screech sounded from the other room. There was no mistaking that voice, it was Double D, and he didn't sound very happy. Kevin and Nazz exchanged glances, faces going slightly pale. Whatever happened, they had a bad feeling about this.

The two of them bolted into the next room. Like the two rooms before this one, everything was white and all around the walls of the room were different numbers written in blood. Splitting the room in half was another dungeon cell, and inside of that was a closet that all the other kids were surrounding. Inside of that closet sat Double D, frantically feeling about in a fit of panic.

"Where is it?! I know I put it in here!" he shouted desperately.

Kevin felt his gut churn.

Eddy joined Double D in his search of the closet, feeling up walls and looking deep into the corners in this tiny space.

"You sure you left in this room?" Eddy growled.

"I'm absolutely positive! I remember it very clearly! Since the monster couldn't reach this area, I figured it was the safest place, so I always hid it in here!" Double D responded, his voice itself slurred in panic. At the moment, everyone's minds whirled with thoughts, but it was best to just stay calm. They key was sure to be around here somewhere.

However, their attempt in staying calm was short-lived as one of the beasts dissolved from thin air and into the room. Everyone let out a terrified gasp.

"Hey Double D! What gives?! I thought you said they couldn't get in here!" Sarah screeched. Double D's face went pale at the site of the growling monster before him.

"This is impossible! It shouldn't be in here! How did it get in here?!" he wailed. All of a sudden, this newfound confidence he's built up was crashing to the ground once again. Here they sat, keyless and preparing to battle yet again. But this creature wasn't alone. All around the room, dozens more faded in until there was practically a small army of these demons easily outnumbering the kids. And finally, Ryuuzu appeared, blocking the door.

"Ryuuzu…? This can't be right… How did they break the seal?" Double D whimpered quietly.

"There's a whole army of these guys!" Jonny shrieked in fear.

"Looks like we gotta fight our way past em," Lee grunted, baling up her fist in preparation for battle. Rolf puffed out his chest, pulling out his axe once more. "Rolf accepts this new challenge!" he bellowed.

Suddenly, Double D burst from the ground, waving his arms in panic. "No, please! You can't possibly defeat them all!" he pleaded.

"But Double D, they're blocking the exit," Ed pointed out. Ed didn't want to fight them yet again, but even he could see that they had no choice in the matter.

"But… But…" Double D sputtered, feeling at a loss for words.

"Hey! If we all work together, we can beat em! What happened to our fighting spirit from yesterday, huh?!" Eddy coached boldly. Kevin nodded in agreement. "Dorky's got the right idea," he stated. Finally, Double D caved in, realizing there was no argument to this. If they sat around and did nothing, they would certainly die again. But if they fought, there was a chance they could win, even if it was very small.

"Bring it!" Eddy called, igniting the battle.

At first, all seemed to be going in the kids' favor. With every beast that came their way, a simple smack to the forehead cause it to disappear, and even though more were still coming, they had managed to beat down enough to thin out its numbers. Yet, all this time Ryuuzu stood in front of the door, watching the battle in wait for the perfect opportunity. He'd studied Double D for a long time now, and he knew his weaknesses. Now it was all about timing. He had is gaze fixated on Eddy the whole time, watching as he brought down a handful of his minions easily, but his back was turned. He was unaware of Ryuuzu's cold stare, and that was the perfect opportunity. His muscles flexed as he prepared to move, and right at the last second, Double D saw it. However, it was too late now to act.

Ryyuzu flew across the room, right up to Eddy who turned around at the last second, eyes growing wide in fear at the monster's outstretched claws. There was no avoiding the attack this time. Eddy sealed his eyes shut and fell to the floor, the sickening sound of slicing flesh echoed in his brain before his body could register the pain. He was hit, he knew it! There was no way in hell he survived that. However, as the seconds ticked on, he still felt nothing. It was then, something dripped onto his abdomen, something warm and wet. He almost didn't want to open his eyes. He was afraid of what he might find. Yet, despite the fear, he opened them anyway only to find something far more alarming than he ever hoped to see.

No closer than a few inches from his own body was the familiar clothing of Double D. His once orange shirt was stained the same crimson red as the numbers on the wall as four black claws had torn through his abdomen. Immediately, all the other sounds in the room faded out, and all Eddy could hear was Double D sickening chokes for air as he fell backwards onto the floor next to Eddy. Suddenly enraged, Eddy swing his pole and hit the monster so hard he swore it should have gone flying. Like the others before it, the monster vanished, but it was already too late. The damage was done.

Double D coughed roughly, blood spurted from his mouth as his eyelids began to close. "DOUBLE D!" he shouted. At the tone in his voice, all attention was now on him, but at the site of their friend, every face in the room went pale. Eddy immediately kneeled over, ripping off his own shirt and wrapping it around Double D's wound. His yellow shirt quickly turned red, and Eddy began to panic.

"No, no, no! Stay with me Double D! It's alright! You're going to be alright!" he wailed.

Kevin, who was trying to fend off another beast who'd gotten its jaws around his wrench, glanced back in horror at the site. "Oh, man! Hold on Dweeb I'll—"

Just then, the monster he was fighting snapped his wrench into tiny pieces. It grabbed him by the head and threw Kevin into the wall, knocking him unconscious. Nazz let out a terrified screech. "Kevin!" she wailed.

Eddy was putting pressure onto Double D's wound, but he had already passed out. Tears dripped down onto the floor, mixing with the blood that was beginning to pool at his knees. "This ain't happening again! I won't allow it to happen again!" Eddy cried out.

"Ed-boy!" Rolf shouted. Suddenly, Eddy glanced to the side and saw that Rolf had managed to clear the door way."Come! We must get the Head-in-Sock Ed-boy to safety! Eddy gently scooped up Double D into his arms and bolted out the door. Ed swooped by and grabbed Kevin on his way out, and together all the children made a run back for the sanctuary. Tears of frustration formed in flowed down Eddy's face. All of his hope was demolished.

"WE WERE SO CLOSE DAMN IT!"

* * *

**Author's Note: Oh my gosh, you guys! I'm so sorry for the uber-long wait. I got caught up in school and the next thing I knew I was not inspired to write at all. I'm also sorry the beginning of this chapter kinda sucks lol. But I want to try to finish the written portion of Ed Oni soon because I'm going to turn it into a comic! I already have the first two pages up on my DeviantArt account if you want to check them out. (Torra001) I feel like I convey stories better through art than words. The next chapter will be the last, so hopefully I'll get around to that soon. Sorry for mistakes, and thanks to those who have stuck around to this chapter! **


	16. Chapter 16 - Home

"_I tried so hard, and got so far,_

_But in the end it doesn't even matter._

_I had to fall to lose it all, _

_But in the end it doesn't even matter."_

"_In the End," Linkin Park_

* * *

Chapter 16 – Home

Things were quiet in the sanctuary. A heavy feeling of anger and sorrow filled the room as the kids merely sat, scattered about. On the beds lay Double D and Kevin, both in unstable condition. Double D was alive for now, but his condition was worsening by the minute. Though they'd managed to stop the bleeding, he had still lost a lot of blood. Though he was still breathing, his heart was barely beating. Things were looking hopeless once again. Ed and Eddy haven't left the bed beside Double D's for as long as they've been here. They just couldn't believe what had just happened. After everything they'd done together, after all the time he spent going through disaster after disaster, he still wanted to throw his own life away for his friends. There was no way Eddy was going to start this whole process again, but by this point what other choice did they have?

"So what now?" Nazz asked, breaking the dreadful silence.

"What else _can_ we do?" Marie snapped back.

"What are you talking about?!" Jimmy wailed. "We have to search for that key!"

"And just how do you propose we do that when the only one with its possible location is…. Well…" Marie hissed, trailing off before she caught herself finishing that sentence. But still, Ed winced.

"Double D's… not gonna die… right Eddy?" Ed whimpered. However, there was no response from Eddy. He merely continued to watch Double D with that same blank, yet horrified expression. "If he dies, then who will turn back time?" Ed continued.

Suddenly, Eddy snapped. "He ain't gonna die!" Ed flinched in fear, and Eddy calmed himself down. "Besides, someone else has done it before, remember? Who else could do it when I know I've seen Double D die before," Eddy sighed, clinging to that one and only hope that his best friend could still be saved.

"But who else is able to do that? No one else has a contract!" Jonny objected.

"We'll just have to try one by one until we get it right!" Eddy snarled. As much as he hated the fact that they would have to start yet again, right now it was their only choice.

"It was Kevin."

Nazz's voice surprised them. Every eye in the room snapped to her for a brief moment before moving to Kevin, who was still lying unconscious on the other bed next to Double D. "He found out that his wrench had somehow gotten the same magic as Double D's contract, and he was the one who was turning back time. But now…" Nazz quivered sorrowfully.

"Now Kevin-boy walks the same path as the Double-D Ed-boy…" Rolf completed in a heavy sigh.

Eddy let out a frustrated growl and buried his face into the palms of his hands. "Will things ever go my way? Just this one time?!" he wailed.

"Maybe we should go look for the key… maybe we can hide it where Double D thought he put it for next time, and it would be a bit easier," May suggested.

"Yea? So where is it, May?!" Lee challenged.

"It's gotta be here somewhere! It's not like it could be anywhere outside the house!" May countered.

"What are you all… yelling about?" Kevin wheezed weakly as he slowly opened his eyes. All at once the entire room breathed a sigh of relief. Kevin was awake, and he was alright.

"Kevin!" Nazz cried out, running up to hug her dear friend as he sat up and glanced around. "I was so worried about you!" she sniffled.

"Oh, thank goodness! We aren't totally doomed!" Jimmy sighed.

Kevin looked a bit lost, but as he glanced over at Double D, and then at everyone else around him, he remembered what had happened. Suddenly, the air began heavy again as Kevin's face fell slightly in disappointment.

"About that…" he murmured, but paused. He contemplated his words, falling silent for a moment.

"What is it?" Sarah urged.

"One of those things… it kinda broke my wrench. So… I can't turn back time," Kevin finally announced. Once more, their sliver of hope vanished. Now, there really was no way out.

"I'm sorry you guys…" Kevin choked.

"Let's just look for that key. It's our only hope of escape right now," May suggested again. And this time, everyone agreed.

"We'll start at the basement, and make our way up. Search every room, tear it apart if you have to," Marie ordered, beginning to make her way toward the door. Everyone rose to their feet and followed her, all except for the two Eds still sitting on the bed. Marie watched them until everyone had already left, waiting for them to make their move, but the stubborn Eds did not budge.

"Come on, You're going to be left behind," Marie snorted.

"And who's gonna protect Double D, huh?!" Eddy snapped. "What if those things come for him in here. I mean, they got onto the fifth floor, who says they won't come in here?!"

Marie's eyelids lowered sorrowfully at Eddy's last attempt to protect his friend, but she knew better. Though it pained her greatly, she knew that there was a very, very slim chance of Double D walking away from this. "It might just be a hunch, but I doubt those monsters will be coming here. They… They've already got him. The least you can do for him is live," Marie stated heavily.

Eddy winced; face twisting ever so slightly in sadness. Ed too looked reluctant to leave. Somewhere deep in their gut they knew that living on would be the better choice, to live on with the life Double D had thrown away to save. However, leaving his side proved to be the most difficult task they'd ever done. How could they leave his side when Double D never did the same for them? Even when there was nothing more they could do.

OoOoOo

The clear light of the sun shone down on Double D's skin. The warmth of its rays was something that he missed terribly about the outside world. He glanced down at the skin of his arms. All the scars and scraps which had previously inhabited the surface of his skin were now completely gone. There was no more pain, or sorrow, or even guilt nagging at his heart. He was free at last. Standing at the gate, Double D glanced back at the mansion once more. From behind him down the dirt road, he culd hear the voices of his friends, cheering in jubilation at their freedom. Double D couldn't help but to smile. He's finally gotten everyone out alive. He was about to take his first few steps toward his home, when a sudden voice stopped him.

"Hey, Sock-head!"

The voice was familiar, but not all at the same time. Double D froze, glancing back at the house, in the direction from which this voice came. Standing in the doorway was Eddy, but something was off. Double D's heart lurched. How did Eddy get back to the house? More importantly, _why_ was he back at the house? Reluctantly, Double D inched his way back toward Eddy. "Eddy? What on earth are you doing over here? We should be getting home our parents must be worried sick—"

Suddenly, Double D realized that this was not Eddy at all, and paused mid-sentence. Yes, the kid standing before him looked like Eddy, he was even the same height with a similar voice. But his clothing and overall demeanor was someone entirely different, someone Double D wasn't afraid to admit he loathed. It was Eddy's brother, but as a younger child. He and Eddy were almost resembling.

"I'm here to help you get everyone out of the house, don't worry," Eddy's brother scoffed, seemingly sensing Double D's unease.

"But… How did you get here? And why are you suddenly around our age?" Double D asked skeptically.

Suddenly, Eddy's brother grew back to his original age, easily looming over Double D, casting a dark shadow over his small, trembling body. "Would you prefer this form?" he asked.

"Erm, the other form was fine," Double D responded, feeling intimidated. So, Eddy's brother shrank back to the kid-like form.

"You still haven't explained why you are here," Double D pointed out hesitantly.

"Come on, doncha want my help? How many times have you been through this now?" Eddy's brother sneered in annoyance.

"Help? But the other kids are already—"

"Don't listen to em. That's just the monster tryin' to lure you away," Eddy's brother interrupted.

"I still don't trust you, I'll have you know," Double D stated.

Eddy's brother merely shrugged. "Your choice, pal. Either go with the monster or come with me to save your friends."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Double D urged, waiting for a legit response.

"I want to save my lil' bro as much as you do," Eddy's brother said. Double D studied him for a long time before finally giving in with a heavy sigh.

"Alright," he stated. Eddy's Brother stepped aside, gesturing for Double D to enter the house. "Ladies First," he mocked. Double D scowled at him, but otherwise walked back into the darkness of the house.

OoOoOo

"We've searched this miserable house form top and bottom with no luck finding that stupid key!" Eddy shouted sourly, standing in the center of the room opposite the lever room on the fourth floor. The other kids were tearing apart bookshelf, upturning furniture and tearing down walls, but with no luck.

"Where the heck did he hide it?!" Eddy wailed.

"It's gotta be in here. This is the last room!" Marie stated.

Sarah glanced around nervously. "Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that we haven't run into a single monster all day," she said uneasily.

Eddy opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Jimmy.

"Guys! Come quick!"

Jimmy waved his arms in front of the closet as a gesture for everyone to gather around. In his other hand, he held onto another clock.

"It's a clock…" Lee grunted.

"How did we miss this?" Eddy wondered aloud, taking the clock from Jimmy's hand.

"Maybe this clock will hold the clue we need!" Kevin said hopefully.

"I really hope your right, shovel-chin," Eddy sighed.

Eddy slammed the clock into the ground. If this clock didn't hold a valuable memory then things were truly hopeless. The world before him faded to black and was replaced with another bedroom. In this room, Eddy and Double D lay in a pool of their own blood. Double D had already died, and Eddy himself wasn't too far behind. In the room with them, looking on in horror and sadness was Jonny.

Eddy began to feel like this was just another random flashback.

"_We finally got the key… But our efforts were useless again,"_ past Eddy wheezed breathlessly.

"_H-Hold on, Eddy! I'll go get Kevin! He'll help you two!"_ Jonny cried out frantically, turning to leave, but Eddy's voice stopped him. _"No, it's… too late for us. Double D… already died,"_ Eddy quivered, reaching into his pocket.

The ghostly Eddy watching felt a pang of sorrow hit him, but that sorrow was soon replaced with interest as he watched himself pull out a key and place it in Jonny's hand. "What's this…?" Real Eddy murmured aloud.

"_Jonny… Hide this key… Hide it… somewhere where that monster won't find it… Kevin will turn back time… and we'll look for it again…"_ Past Eddy breathed. After his sentence he coughed roughly and winced in pain, gripping at the wound on his side in pain.

"_Eddy…"_ Jonny whimpered sadly, gripping tighter around the small key in his fist.

"_GO!"_ Eddy screeched painfully before falling limp to the floor. Jonny stared at him for a moment, face going pale before turning and bolting down the hall.

The flashback faded away back to reality. Eddy hoped to all humanity that this was the answer they'd been looking for, he hoped that somehow, even though he didn't remember, Jonny held the key deep within his thoughts.

"I got nothin'," Kevin grimaced.

"Me too," Jimmy added.

All of a sudden, Eddy went into a small craze, bolting right up to Jonny and grabbing him by the shoulders. His sudden outburst certainly got everyone's attention, but they all remained silent.

"Uh, Eddy…?" Jonny question unsurely.

"Jonny! Listen to me, Jonny!" Eddy screeched.

"O-Okay…" Jonny stammered.

"If you were to hide that key anywhere in this mansion, where would you put it?!" Eddy demanded.

A thin layer of sweat gathered on Jonny's skin. "I-I don't remember, Eddy!"

"It doesn't matter if you remember! Just pretend like this is a game! If I told you to hid a key right at this very moment… to hid the key where that monster wouldn't find it, where would you put it?" Eddy stated, shaking the boy a little.

Jonny paused in thought for a long while. Finally, his face sprung to life with a goofy smile. "Oh! I know!" he wailed. Eddy released his grip on Jonny as he reached into his pockets, but now a puzzled look came over him. "What the heck… Where'd my jawbreaker go?!"

Eddy's brows furrowed in annoyance. "A jawbreaker?! Are you crazy, man?! How's a jawbreaker gonna—"

"JAWBREAKER!" Ed shouted randomly, cutting Eddy off. Eddy glanced over at Ed in anger. "Ed, now's not the time for that crap!" he growled.

"No! Eddy! That jawbreaker!" Ed repeated.

It was then, it hit Eddy dead in the face. That's right, there indeed was a jawbreaker in this house. A jawbreaker, which at the time seemed totally out of place and ridiculous, but now made a world of sense. A jawbreaker, which sat in this very room.

"Ed… you're a genius!" Eddy murmured. "Quick! Move the bookshelf!" he instructed.

Ed ran over and moved the bookshelf, and sure enough the jawbreaker still sat wedged into the wall where they'd left it.

"There it is!" Jonny stated, reaching in and toying with the stubborn jawbreaker until he finally was able to pry it loose. Sure enough, hanging by a nail against the inner part of the wall, previously concealed by the succulent ball of sugar, was a golden, blood splattered key. Key immediately took the key, and just as he'd hoped it red, 'Front Door.'

"This is it," he mumbled. The other kids smiled from ear to ear. They'd finally done it. "C'mon! Let's go get sock-head and get outta here!" Eddy cheered. However, as he was running toward the door, a familiar figure stepped into their view. Eddy stopped dead in his tracks. "Double D?"

Sure enough, the injured boy was here, standing before them with his head hung low, injuries still looking pretty bad. "What are you doin' walking around?! You should be up yet!" Jimmy urged. However, Double D did not respond. He merely stood in the doorway in the same slouching position. Eddy immediately noticed that something wasn't right.

"Hey, man! We were about to come get ya! We found the key! We can all go home!" Kevin stated happily.

Double D looked up from the ground, and everyone notices something alarming. His eyes are pitch-black. Marie took a step back. "No…" she gasped.

"What is it?" May wondered, titling her head.

Suddenly, Double D took a few staggering steps toward them, walking almost zombie-like. "You… Won't… Escape!" he groaned in an eerily supernatural voice. To their shock and dismay they all realized that Double D had been possessed by the monster. This was not their friend anymore. Double D suddenly broke from the staggering walk, and burst into action, pulling moves similar to the beast to do everything in its power to stop the kids.

"Come! We must retreat to the gate!" Rolf shouted, bolting out the door. Most of the kids were quick to follow. "What about Double D?!" Eddy wailed. Nazz paused at the door. "Just come on Eddy! We'll figure something out! Right now we just need to escape!" she stated. Eddy dodged another attack, but remained inside the room.

"But we promised we would escape together!" Eddy objected. Suddenly, Marie swooped in and grabbed Eddy by the collar of his shirt, yanking him out the room. "Don't be an idiot! We'll come back!" she snarled. Eddy was dragged against his will through the hall and down the stairs. Once they reached the first floor, they noticed the door was already open. The others were outside already, making a break for the gate as Kevin held the door for the remaining few. Eddy continued to be dragged all the way to the gate, but he fought his way free from Marie before leaving the gate.

"Come on, Eddy!" Jonny wailed.

Eddy rose to his feet, brushing off the dirt. "Not without Double D!" he snarled in return. From the safety of the gate, the others watched as Double D caught up to Eddy, but instead of attacking, Double D merely remained in a standoff with his leather book in hand.

"Give him back!" Eddy shouted.

"_I'm sorry, Eddy…"_ Double D's voice rang throughout the air, even though his body's mouth did not move. Eddy jolted. "Double D?"

"_I'm sorry… I let Ryuuzu get me this time. Just go on without me. I'm afraid… I won't be going home."_

Eddy clenched his fists. "Like hell I'm leaving you here all alone! Either you come home with us! Or I'll spend the rest of my life trying to get you back! I'm not leaving without my best friend!"

Suddenly, Double D lunged for Eddy, but he avoided the attack, taking Double D by the shoulders. As Double D's body thrashed and growled angrily, Eddy could hear his voice repeating the same words over and over.

"_I'm so sorry, Eddy."_

It was then, the book fell to the ground and Double D managed to wriggle free. Eddy picked up the book and stared at it for a good while. This thing was the reason all of this happened. This thing was the reason Double D went through so much suffering. This thing was the reason Eddy was losing his best friend, one of the only ones in his life who truly accepted him for who he was. Out of fury, Eddy took the book and ripped the entire thing in half.

"SCREW THIS CONTRACT!"

As the torn sheets of paper floated to the ground, Double D's body let out a menacing cry of pain.

"What's going on?!" Nazz shrieked, covering her ears.

Double D fell to his knees, crying out in anguish the whole time.

"_Eddy! What on earth are you doing! You're going to kill it, that's its heart!"_ Double D's voice wailed.

"Good!" Eddy spat.

"_But it's going to take me with it…"_

Eddy suddenly realized the mistake he'd made. He wanted to cry out in fear and anger, but the scream was caught in his throat. This couldn't be happening. Without thinking, he lunged forward and gripped Double D's body in a hug.

"Like hell I'mma let it do that! You can't de here, Sock-head! Whatever happened to getting out together huh?! What about the sleepover, and our promises! It can't end it! It just can't! I'd be damned if I let my best friend die in a place like this!" Eddy shouted desperately, but his words seemingly had no effect of the writhing body in his arms.

Suddenly, Double D fell limp and quiet. Eddy continued to hold him, tears streaming down his face as the entire lot fell to silence. A breeze ran across the yard, scattering the musty pages of the journal across the perfectly green grass.

The rein of the tyrant Ryuuzu was over.

"Is he… dead?" Jimmy whimpered reluctantly.

Marie covered her mouth in disbelief as tears of sorrow formed in her eyes. "No…"

Without a word, Eddy carried Double D's limp body back to the others. His face was blank, practically unreadable. The kids prepared for the worst. It was then, a small smile crept over Eddy's face along with a few tears in his eyes.

"He's… He's alright. His heart is barely beating, but he's alive."

Tears of sorrow and disbelief were replaced with tears of joy as everyone cheered out happily. Even when things looked so bleak, they managed to pull off the impossible. There would be no more bloodshed in this mansion. Eddy couldn't help but to laugh as tears of happiness streamed down his face.

"C'mon. Let's go home."

* * *

**Author's note: Aanndd there you have it. My first more-than-four-chapter fanfiction is complete. What did you guys think? I know throughout the majority of it, the story was pretty much HetaOni, but as you can see (for those who have seen HetaOni) I changed some things up, especially toward the end since HetaOni doesn't even have an ending yet. Now I can work on the comic with the peace of mind knowing my story is totally finished. Thanks to all who have stuck around till the end! I hope you enjoyed it. **


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